Bari, not only sea and good food but also culture and interesting places, here are five for a holiday of pleasure but also of knowledge.
Usually when you think about Bari one thinks of the sea, of San Nicola - both in the sense of the patron saint and of the stadium named after him - and of orecchiette, the traditional pasta often associated in common thinking with turnips or ragù.
But, beyond that? Obviously there is much more. Suppose you want to take an artistic tour, go to the discovery of some art place that allows you to discover the city? In this article I propose at least five places of art, among many, to visit and admire, naturally low cost.
Let's start with the suggestive Corrado Giaquinto Picture Gallery, located in the Palazzo della Provincia di Bari in via Spalato, right in front of the panoramic Lungomare Nazario Sauro. The structure - dedicated to the Apulian painter from Molfetta, Corrado Giaquinto, who distinguished himself with his works during the eighteenth century - was officially built in 1928 to house the paintings in the Provincial Archaeological Museum as well as other works from Apulian churches, donations and shopping.
Among temporary exhibitions and permanent sections, inside it is possible to visit different collections including precious paintings of the Venetian school ranging from the fifteenth to the sixteenth century as well as a documentation of Apulian art from the eleventh to the nineteenth century unique in the regional panorama, and then the collection of ceramics, works of the Neapolitan school, the Grieco Collection, and much more. The entrance ticket costs € 2,58 (including reductions for certain categories, in this case read here) but there are occasions where you can access it for free, for example every first Sunday of the month.
The second place that I propose is the civic Museum, located in Strada Sagges near Piazza Chiurlia, which can be accessed from one of the main streets of the city such as C.so Vittorio Emanuele. The Museum - dating back to 1913 - after various vicissitudes returned to vogue just before the end of 2015 with a new set-up project and a renewed exhibition itinerary, enriched by multimedia installations, to implement the historical testimonies of the capital.
The Civic Museum is divided over two floors where it is possible to visit the main collections present in it, in addition to any ongoing exhibitions, in a path that leads the viewer to grasp the history of the city from the Renaissance to the present day passing through photographs, paintings. , relics, period objects, drawings and sculptures. Entrance ticket: € 2,50 (reduced: € 1,50).
Staying nearby, going towards Strada Lamberti, it is possible to visit another historical place in Bari which Simi Palace, dating back to the Renaissance period and since 2000 home of the Operational Center of Archeology. Palazzo Simi, whose name derives from the Simi de Burgis family - an ancient patrician family of Lucca origins - which from the end of the seventeenth century became the owner of the building, houses a museum in which archaeological finds dating back to ancient times are exhibited. But it does not end here, going down into the basement of the Palace you can see a medieval oven used for cooking dishes, the remains of a Byzantine church and wall structures from different eras to attest to the gradual raising of the level of the Old City over the centuries. Entrance to the palace is free.
On the side of Piazza del Ferrarese, the central access to the historic center, there is the Margherita Theater, which is preparing to become - together with the former Fish Market and the Murat Hall - one of the structures belonging to the Polo delle Arti Contemporanee in Bari. The theater, one of the most famous in the capital as well as the Petruzzelli Theater, built towards the beginning of twentieth century, it is located in the bend of the old port on pillars founded in the sea.
Built in Liberty style it replaced the Margherita Variety, a wooden theater dating back to 1910. From 1919 the structure housed the Historical Museum (until the end of the Second World War) and from 1921 some cinematographic works were also projected inside. In 1943, now occupied by the Anglo-American army, the Margherita theater changed its name and became Garrison Theater, a place to entertain the allied troops, until 1946, when the structure was further modified to become exclusively a cinema venue. After several years in total disuse and neglect, the theater was reopened in 2009 following a long internal and external restoration. It is currently home to both free and paid cultural events.
Leaving the Teatro Margherita and entering old Bari from the aforementioned Piazza del Ferrarese, continuing to the left is Piazza Mercantile where, always taking a side street, there is Via Fragigena. Stopping at number 11 you can pay a visit to the artisan atelier Malta of Geris, space of the artist Maria Pierno, a very affable and kind lady who will be happy to open the door of her art and design house-workshop showing you her special creations, which are also available for purchase: vases, statues, lamps , decorative panels, tables, and other fine items. All modeled with Malta di Geris, an eco-friendly compound created and tested by Pierno herself. It can be accessed in the afternoon from 18 to 20 or even in the morning by appointment.
