BARI CIVITAS

Bari has been selected by Roberto Amati in relation to the real history of european integration, then enlisted in the CITY OR CIVITAS category, accompanied by own fact SHEET useful to the comprehension, completed of historical MAPS AND IMAGES or with a direct linking to the related Blog contents dedicated to the entire history of european integration and the future of Europe.

Bari is one of the most ancient cities of the history of European integration, signed in great part by Christianity. The Civitas Bari was founded centuries BC by Illirians people, influenced by ancient Greeks before to be conquered by Romans in 3rd century BC and transformed in a strategic point for trading at the crossing of many ancient roman ways: the Traiana way coming from Benevento and reaching the port of Brindisi; the same civitas was the arrival point of the Ancient Appia way coming from Rome and passing close to Bari; the city was also the arrival point of the Adriatica way starting from Rimini and running all along the homonimus sea. The first mention of the roman Barium was in 181 BC as an important harbour and fishery centre.

Within the reform of Augustus (see Roman Empire), Bari was included into the Regio II Apulia et Calabria of the Italiae province, where could live together Romans, Illirians and Greeks people into the "old roman town" still visible today. With the reform of Constantine I (see Christian Empire), Bari was elevated to the rank of bishopric within the imperial Italiae Diocesis, becouse of its originary christian community mainly important in that scenario especially dutinrg the Middle Age time.

At that time, Bari was conquered by Ostrogoths in the V century AD then rejoined to the Byzantine Empire quite fifty years after Gothic War and disputed with the Lombards reign and the Republic of Venice that used its port as a depot for Slavs trading towards the East. In 885 AD Bari became the seat of the byzantine Apulia et Calabria theme and obtained the city Palatine cathedral, where had been convoked numerous synods with the intention of reconciling the "Eastern Schism" (1054 AD), and a Basilica to host the relics of the city patron Saint Nicholas brought from Lycia.

In late XI century AD that region was assigned as the new founded Ducky of Apulia et Calabria to the Normans family of Hauteville by the Roman Church but contended by the Reich imperors, until it was joined to the Sicily Kingdom and kept following its destiny. When it passed under the rule of the emperor Federick II stupor mundi in the old Bari centre was built a castle, the centre of a complex defensive system of fortfifications still existing and admirated by turists.

The city grew up in modern era and became an italian central excellence point for agriculture and gastronomy, by hosting the annual international Fiera del Levante event and main European port to Eastern directions. Nowadays, Bari is one of the biggest town of South Italy elevated capital of the metropolitan city within the Italian Republic and the Apulia region, whose patron is St. Nicholas, one of the most popular of Christianity.

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