Bari

BARI (anc. BARIUM), an archiepiscopal see in Apulia, Italy, capital of province of Bari, on a small peninsula, 69m. N.W. of Brindisi by rail. Pop. (1815) about 15,000 ; (190 I) 7 7,4 7 8 148,292 (town) ; 171,801 (commune). The closely-built old town is on the peninsula to the north, and the new town to the south is laid out rectangularly. The former contains the cathedral of S. Sabino, begun in Io34, destroyed in 1156, and rebuilt in 117o-78: the exterior preserves in the main the fine original architecture, notably the dome and campanile; the church of S. Nicola was founded in 1087 to receive the relics of this saint, brought from Myra in Lycia, and now beneath the altar in the crypt. The facade is fine, and the interior, divided into three naves by columns, with galleries over the aisles, has fortunately not been restored. The church is one of the four Palatine churches of Apulia (the others being the cathedrals of Acquaviva and Alta mura, and the church of Monte S. Angelo sul Gargano). The small church of S. Gregorio belongs also to the Ilth century. The castle, built 1233-4o by Frederick II., and strengthened in the r6th century, lies on the west side of the old town. The old har bour lies on the east side of the peninsula, and the new (recently 'Bedjan (Paris, 18go) .

'Edited and translated

by Abbeloos and Lamy (Louvain, enlarged) on the west. The imports in 1925 amounted to 309,652 tons and the exports to 65,IO5 tons. Trade for 1926 included Io,436 passengers, 371,297 tons of merchandise and 3,80o ships of total tonnage of 2,065,376• Bari is the home port of the Puglia line. In the new town is the Ateneo, containing the pro vincial museum, with pre-Hellenic collections, and a large theatre.

Bari is the seat of command of the IX. Army Corps, and the most important commercial town in Apulia. It manufactures olive oil, soap, carbon sulphide, tiles, "oriental" carpets and playing cards, and has a large iron foundry and important flour-mills. In Roman times Barium was the junction between the coast road and the Via Traiana. Its harbour, mentioned as early as 18o B.C., was the principal one of the district, as at present, and was the centre of a fishery. It became in 852 a seat of Saracen power, and in 885 the residence of the Byzantine governor of Apulia. In 1071 it was captured by Robert Guiscard. Some of the Nor man crusaders crossed thence to Constantinople in Io96-97. In II56 it was razed to the ground but acquired new prosperity under Frederick II. After this it was under various masters, last of all the Sforzas 7 ), and after the death of Bona Sforza, widow of Sigismund I. of Poland, it was assigned to Naples by arbitration of the Emperor. (See F. Carabellese, Bari [Arti grafiche, Bergamo, 19o9]—well illustrated.)