Chiesa di San Marco dei Veneziani (Church of St. Marcus dei Veneziani), Bari

The Church of St. Marcus dei Veneziani (Chiesa di San Marco dei Veneziani), located in Bari's historical center, has a fascinating history. It was built around 1002-1003 to celebrate Bari's liberation from the Saracens by Doge Pietro Orseolo II of Venice. First mentioned in 1187, the church is referenced throughout the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries.

The church's facade, though partially retaining its Romanesque appearance, has undergone alterations. It has a gabled double-pitched roof and two high pilasters that originally divided it into three naves. The facade features a notable rose window with a radial pattern, adorned with garlands and small columns. A small winged lion, possibly sculpted by Pietro Facitolo, is situated at the center. Below the rose window, there are two arched single-lancet windows and a round-arched portal with an intricately designed frame, dating back to the eleventh or twelfth century.

The interior displays artworks spanning different periods, from the late Renaissance to the 18th and 19th centuries. Notable pieces include an altarpiece by Umberto Colonna (1953) depicting Our Lady of the Well (Madonna del Pozzo) with Saint Mark and Saint Anthony, a stoup (a basin for holy water) near the entrance featuring a relief image of St. Anthony, and an 18th-century altar in the left aisle with a tabernacle. The altar is crowned by a niche housing a wooden statue of the Our Lady of the Well (Madonna del Pozzo).