Bari (city, Italy)

Bari (city, Italy) (ancient Barium), city, southern Italy, capital of Bari Province and Apulia Region, a seaport on the Adriatic Sea. It is a major commercial center, having an especially extensive trade with eastern Mediterranean ports, and it is one of the principal cities of southern Italy. Manufactures include chemicals, textiles, refined petroleum, machinery, and tobacco products.

The old section of the city occupies a promontory separating the old and new harbors. It is the site of two notable Romanesque churches: the Basilica of San Nicola (11th-12th century) and the cathedral (late 12th century). The modern section of the city covers part of the adjacent plain and is the site of the University of Bari (1924). Bari was a Greek colony and later a Roman commercial center. It came under the domination of the Lombards, the Byzantines, and the Normans. It was a major Italian naval base during World War II and sustained heavy damage. Population (2005 estimate) 328,458.