Bari

Territory, geography, climate, cost of living, places of interest

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Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia (or, in Italian, Puglia) region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas. The city itself has a decreasing population of about 320,000, as of 2009, over 116 km2, while the fast-growing urban area counts 653,028 inhabitants over 203 km2. The metropolitan area counts 1 million inhabitants.
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 the splendid Basilica of Saint Nicholas, the Cathedral of San Sabino (1035–1171) and the Swabian Castle built for Frederick II, which is now also a major nightlife district. To the south is the Murat quarter (erected by Joachim Murat), the modern heart of the city, which is laid out on a rectangular grid-plan with a promenade on the sea and the major shopping district (the via Sparano and via Argiro).
Modern residential zones surround the centre of Bari, the result of chaotic development 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 have developed rapidly during the 1990s. The city has a redeveloped airport named after Pope John Paul II, Karol Wojtyła Airport, with connections to several European cities.

Geography


Shown below are the twenty quarters of Bari: these twenty neighbourhoods or "quartiere" as they are known, are further divided into nine governmental community boards:

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Municipality Quarters:

  • I Palese Macchie & Santo Spirito-Catino-San Pio
  • II San Paolo & Stanic
  • III Picone & Poggiofranco
  • IV Carbonara-Santa Rita, Ceglie del Campo & Loseto
  • V Japigia, Torre a Mare & San Giorgio
  • VI Carrassi, San Pasquale & Mungivacca
  • VII Madonnella
  • VIII Libertà & Marconi-San Girolamo-Fesca
  • IX Murat & San Nicola

 

Climate


Bari enjoys a semi-arid Mediterranean climate with mild winters and warm to hot, dry summers. Snowfall in winter is possible. During the summer of 2008 temperatures reached as high as 42 °C (108 °F).