BARI—Apulia’s Lively Capital.- APULIA is the region that forms the “heel” of Italy’s “boot.” (See map on page 14.) It is famous for its olive oil and wines. Bari is its capital city, with a population of about 350,000. The city dates back, it is believed, to pre-Roman times. At one point it came under Greek influence. The Romans, who penetrated the region in the fourth century B.C.E., called the city Barium and made it a municipium, that is, a settlement that was inhabited by Roman citizens and that retained its own administrative independence. From the time of the first Crusade (1096 C.E.), Bari grew in importance for routes to the Orient. It also became the port of departure for many Crusader ships. City of “Father Christmas”? Bari’s most important monuments are closely tied to historical events. A building particularly related to Bari’s history is the Basilica di San Nicola. The Nicola in question is said to have been bishop of Myra, a city of Asia Minor, in the fourth century C.E. In antiquity, the details of his life became confused with those of another cleric of the same name, who lived in the sixth century. So legends of different origins surrounded this person. One, among the many, called this Nicola the protector of children because it was said that he resurrected three children who had been cut to pieces and pickled by a wicked innkeeper! It is not surprising, therefore, that during the Middle Ages, an unscriptural veneration of this personage spread and supposed relics of his were much sought after. According to the book Puglia-Dal Gargano al Salento, Nicola, known in Latin as Sanctus Nicolaus, “became Santa Claus in lands north of the Alps and later in North America; his bishop’s cloak was transformed into a fur-trimmed cassock, his miter into a hood, and the saint into a charitable, white-bearded old man with a bag full of presents.” Lo and behold, Father Christmas! There are other interesting monuments in the city, but for Jehovah’s Witnesses, a building of particular interest may be the Church of the Holy Trinity and Saints Cosma and Damiano, built in the 1960’s. Its apse contains a mosaic depicting the Tetragrammaton. Have You Ever Seen a Trullo? You do not need to travel too far from Bari to find plenty of interesting places to visit. In Alberobello, about 35 miles [55 km] southeast of Bari, there are the famous trulli. These are unusually shaped white buildings with a conical roof. They have been called petrified tents and bizarre kiosks built among the trees. They were built with stones placed on top of each other without mortar. The construction method might make the trulli seem rather unstable, even unsafe, yet they have endured. Many are centuries old. They are also well insulated, making them cool in summer and warm in winter. If you are a camera buff, you may want to take pictures of the impressive Castel del Monte, some 25 miles [40 km] west of Bari. It was commissioned by Frederick II in the 13th century. As one guidebook states, it “outclasses every other castle associated with Frederick II. It is also one of the most sophisticated secular buildings of the Middle Ages.” The book describes it as “a harmonious geometrical study with two stories of eight rooms each.” Its octagonal design incorporates eight satellite towers. It is worth a visit. In Bari some 1,600 of Jehovah’s Witnesses and numerous friends meet in 18 congregations.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 15:59:34 +0000
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