Bari is made up of four different urban sections. To the north is the closely built old town on the peninsula between two modern harbours, with theBasilica of Saint Nicholas, theCathedral of San Sabino (1035–1171) and theNorman-Swabian Castle, which is now also a major nightlife district. To the south is the Murat quarter (erected byJoachim Murat), the modern heart of the city, which is laid out on a rectangular grid-plan with apromenade on the sea and the major shopping district (thevia Sparano andvia Argiro).
Modern residential zones surrounding the centre of Bari were built during the 1960s and 1970s replacing the old suburbs that had developed along roads splaying outwards from gates in the city walls. In addition, the outer suburbs developed rapidly during the 1990s.[3]
Bari itself known in antiquity asBarium, was a harbour of theIapygianPeuceti.[4][5] The authors of theEtymologicum Magnum have preserved an etymology by authors of antiquity aboutBarium, which they explain as the word "house" inMessapic.[6] The city had strong Greek influences before the Roman era.[7] InAncient Greek, it was known asΒάριον. In the 3rd century BC, it became part of theRoman Republic and was subsequently Romanized. The city developed strategic significance as the point of junction between the coast road and theVia Traiana and as a port for eastward trade; a branch road toTarentum led from Barium. Its harbour, mentioned as early as 181 BC, was probably the principal one of the districts in ancient times, as it is at present, and was the centre of a fishery.[8] The first historical bishop ofBari wasGervasius who was noted at theCouncil of Sardica in 347.[9]
Throughout this period, and indeed throughout the Middle Ages, Bari served as one of the majorslave depots of the Mediterranean, providing a central location for the trade inSlavic slaves.[11] The slaves were mostly captured byVenice fromDalmatia, by theHoly Roman Empire from what is nowEastern Germany andPoland, and by the Byzantines from elsewhere in the Balkans, and were generally destined for other parts of the Byzantine Empire and (most frequently) the Muslim states surrounding the Mediterranean: theAbbasid Caliphate, theUmayyadCaliphate of Córdoba, theEmirate of Sicily, and theFatimid Caliphate (which relied on Slavs purchased at the Bari market for its legions of SakalabaMamluks).[12]
For 20 years, Bari was the centre of theEmirate of Bari; the city was captured by its first emirsKalfun in 847, who had been part of the mercenary garrison installed there byRadelchis I of Benevento.[13] The city was conquered and the emirate extinguished in 871 followingfive-year campaign byFrankish Emperor Louis II, assisted by aByzantine fleet.[14]Chris Wickham states Louis spent five years campaigning to reduce then occupy Bari, "and then only to a Byzantine/Slav naval blockade"; "Louis took the credit" for the success, adding "at least in Frankish eyes", then concludes by noting that by remaining in southern Italy long after this success, he "achieved the near-impossible: an alliance against him of the Beneventans, Salernitans, Neapolitans and Spoletans; later sources includeSawadān as well."[13] In 885, Bari became the residence of the local Byzantinecatapan, or governor. The failed revolt (1009–1011) of the Lombard noblesMelus of Bari and hisbrother-in-law Dattus, against the Byzantine governorate, though it was firmly repressed at theBattle of Cannae (1018), offered theirNorman adventurer allies a first foothold in the region.[citation needed] In 1025, under theArchbishop Byzantius, Bari became attached to thesee of Rome and was granted "provincial" status.[15]
In 1071, Bari was captured byRobert Guiscard, following athree-year siege, ending what remained of the Byzantine power in the region.[16] Following this, Bari's physical and political landscapes were changed: thepraetorium which had functioned as a political centre was converted into theBasilica of Saint Nicholas. Relics ofSaint Nicholas were brought to Bari in 1087 and installed in the basilica.[17]
In 1136 the Holy Roman Emperor,Lothair, captured Bari.[19] A Byzantine army took control of Bari fromWilliam I of Sicily in 1155. William recaptured the city the following year, and on finding that his house had been destroyed began a campaign of reprisals causing widespread destruction across the city. The city walls were destroyed, an act which archaeologist Giulia Bellato suggests was a symbolic downgrading of Bari's status and that of its inhabitants. The events are chronicled byHugo Falcandus.[17]
DuringJoanna I of Naples' conflict with Hungary, Bari was besieged in 1349 and captured by a combined Germany and Hungarian army.[20]
A long period of decline characterized the city under the dominations ofAldoino Filangieri di Candida, and those of theKings of Naples, which held the control of the entire mainland southern Italy from 1282 to 1806. This decline was interrupted, however, by the splendor under theSforzas, who ruled the city asDukes of Bari, a title given by the Neapolitan crown, in particular under the rule of the dukesLudovico andBeatrice d'Este, then of the duchessesIsabella of Aragon andBona Sforza. Bari also underwent Venetian domination, which led to the expansion of the port and a very prosperous period, also favored by the trade of inland products, which were in great demand on foreign markets.[21][22]
In 1556, Princess Bona Sforza of Aragon, second wife of theKing of Poland Sigismund I, left Poland and settled in Bari, whose principality she had inherited from her parents. During her reign, she fortified the city's castle, as evidenced by an inscription in bronze letters on the cornice around the courtyard, as well as building several churches, a monastery, two water cisterns and made many donations to the monks of the Basilica of San Nicola. Bona Sforza died in the city in 1557.[22] Following her death, the city of Bari came under the direct rule of the kings of Naples.[23]
In 1813,Joachim Murat,King of Naples in theNapoleonic era, began a new urbanization, changing the face of the city and setting a new "chessboard" growth model, which continued for many years to come. The village built at the time on the outskirts of the old city still retains its name.[24]
Modern plumbing arrived in the city of Bari on 24 April 1915: it was the first completed leg of the nascent Apulian Aqueduct. During the 1930s,Araldo di Crollalanza, the mayor and minister of Bari, oversaw the development of its modern waterfront.[25]
The SSJohn Harvey on fire on 2 December 1943, at Bari
A fleet of GermanLuftwaffe bombers attacked Allied forces and shipping in Bari on 2 December 1943. An American ship, theSS John Harvey, carrying a secret cargo of 2,000mustard gas bombs, was destroyed causing release of the gas into the air and sea, resulting in death, chemical burns, and blindness among sailors and the civilian population of the city.[citation needed]
A member of U.S. GeneralDwight D. Eisenhower's medical staff, Stewart F. Alexander, was dispatched to Bari following the raid. Alexander had trained at the Army'sEdgewood Arsenal in Maryland,[27][citation needed] and was familiar with some of the effects of mustard gas. Although he was not informed of the cargo carried by theJohn Harvey, and most victims suffered atypical symptoms caused by exposure to mustard diluted in water and oil (as opposed to airborne), Alexander rapidly concluded that mustard gas was present. Although he could not get any acknowledgement of this from the chain of command, Alexander convinced medical staffs to treat patients for mustard exposure and saved many lives as a result. He also preserved many tissue samples from autopsied victims at Bari. After World War II, these samples would result in the development of an early form ofchemotherapy based on mustard,Mustine.[28]
On the orders of Allied leadersFranklin D. Roosevelt,Winston Churchill, and Eisenhower, records were destroyed and the whole affair was kept secret for many years after the war. The U.S. records of the attack were declassified in 1959, but the episode remained obscure until 1967, when writer Glenn B. Infield exposed the story in his bookDisaster at Bari.[28] Additionally, there is considerable dispute as to the exact number of fatalities. In one account: "[S]ixty-nine deaths were attributed in whole or in part to the mustard gas, most of them American merchant seamen."[29] Others put the count as high as "more than one thousand Allied servicemen and more than one thousand Italian civilians".[30]
The affair is the subject of two books: the aforementionedDisaster at Bari, by Glenn B. Infield, andNightmare in Bari: The World War II Liberty Ship Poison Gas Disaster and Coverup, byGerald Reminick.[citation needed]
The port of Bari was again struck by disaster on 9 April 1945 when the Liberty shipCharles Henderson exploded in the harbour while offloading 2,000 tons of aerial bombs (half of that amount had been offloaded when the explosion occurred). Three hundred and sixty people were killed and 1,730 were wounded. The harbour was again rendered non-operational, this time for a month.
9 April 1945 – view from the barracks. Photo by WOJG Hubert Platt Henderson who was stationed at Bari as the Director of the 773rd Band.
9 April 1945 – photo by WOJG Hubert Platt Henderson who was stationed at Bari as the Director of the 773rd Band
9 April 1945 – photo by WOJG Hubert Platt Henderson who was stationed at Bari as the Director of the 773rd Band
Bari is the largest urban and metro area on theAdriatic. It is located insouthern Italy, at a more northerly latitude thanNaples, further south thanRome.
Bari is divided into five municipalities (Municipi), constituted in 2014.[35] The municipality is also divided into 17 official neighbourhoods (quartieri).[36]
As of 2015, there are 315,473 people residing in Bari of whom 48.1% were male and 51.9% were female, while 3.8% of the population were foreign residents.[39]
According to an urban migration study in Bari, return migration gain to urban areas is higher than migration loss from urban areas. People migrating from urban destinations tend to migrate to different places in comparison to people migrating from rural areas. These findings are based on the background and behavior of a sample of 211 return migrants to Bari, Italy. Bari is a port city, making it historically important because of its strong trade links with Greece, North Africa, and the eastern Mediterranean. Bari's economic structure is based on industry, commerce, services, and administration. Around two-thirds of the city's employment is in the tertiary sector with its port, commerce, and administrative functions. The highest percentage of Bari's working population is employed in services, with 45.6%. From 1958 to 1982, around 20% of migrants left Bari for other Italian communes, while around 17% or migrants came to Bari from other Italian communes. Under 2% of migrants left Bari to go abroad and came to the city from abroad.[40]
Bari has an old fishery port (Porto Vecchio) and a so-called new port in the north, as well as some marinas. The Port of Bari is an important cargo transport hub toSoutheast Europe. Various passenger transport lines include some seasonal ferry lines toAlbania,Montenegro orDubrovnik. Bari –Igoumenitsa is a popular ferry route to Greece. Some cruise ships call at Bari.
^Amazon book summary ofGerald Reminick (2001).Nightmare in Bari: The World War II Liberty Ship Poison Gas Disaster and Coverup. Glencannon Press.ISBN978-1-889-90121-3.
