Also known as the Houenstaufen Castle, the Swabian Fortress was built circa 1132 by the Norman King Roger II. The castle was destroyed in 1156 by King William I ("The Wicked") of Sicily in his busy jaunt through Bari. It was restored by Emperor Fredrick II in 1233.

The castle is surrounded by a moat. Each corner of the castle walls has a tower bastion. The "Tower of Minors" was a juvenile prison. "Traffic Light" is a maritime aide. The "Tower of Saint Francis" is said to have sheltered the saint as a guest of Frederick II. The "Tower of the Wind" on the northwest corner is exactly that.

The ogival arch west gate opens to a vestibule of high cross vaults, columns, and pilasters. A loggia faces a Renaissance courtyard with an Aragonese staircase. North of the courtyard is a passage to the 10th-century church of Saint Apollinaris. Today the castle houses the Bari Directorate for Architectural and Landscape Heritage.

There is a story that in 1221 Frederick II hosted Saint Francis of Assisi in the Swabian Castle. The Emperor sent a courtesan to seduce the saint. As she approached his bed, it was covered with fire. She fled in terror. Frederick (who had been spying on the saint) was very impressed. The courtesan could not be reached for comment.

King of Sicily, William I, also known as Il Malo ("the Wicked"), destroyed the Byzantine cathedral in the sack of Bari in 1156. There had been a church on the site since the 6th century. Churches and public buildings were razed. The Basilica of San Nicola was the last one standing.

The Bari Cathedral, consecrated in 1292, is a fine example of Apulia Romanesque, very like the Basilica of San Nicola. The plain facade is in three parts, set off by two pilasters. Each part has a portal. The main portal is in the center, below a large rose window. Over the window is a lintel with carvings of fantasy creatures.

The rebuilt bell tower is made of stone, the same as the original. It has an ornate lantern tower over the Moorish-style dome of the cupola. Inside there are three aisles and 16 columns, and arcades. The transept is pure Apulian Romanesque, as is the false women's gallery and the rebuilt pulpit.

The crypt holds some relics of Saint Sabinus that were brought to Bari in 844. The smaller apse holds two sarcophagi, one for the relics of Saint Columba and the other for other sacred artifacts. The Palace of the Curia, adjacent to the cathedral, is home to the Diocesan Museum.

Saint Nicholas of Myra, in Asia Minor (Anatolia), is not to be confused with Saint Nicholas of Lyra, a 13th-century Franciscan scholar from Lyre, Normandy. Nicholas of Bari was, it is said, a prolific worker of miracles. He is the patron of sailors, merchants, archers, thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, the unmarried, and students.

Born in the 3rd century, he survived the persecutions of Diocletian and became Bishop of Myra. In 1087, merchants from Bari removed his bones from Saracen-controlled Myra and brought them home to Italy. A church was consecrated in 1197 to house his relics. It was built during the era of Norman rule in Apulia.

The Basilica of Saint Nicholas, built in the Puglia-Romanesque style, has a more or less square plan, giving it the appearance of a castle. Two stout towers flank the facade. The interior has a nave and two aisles with granite columns. The presbytery is divided by three arches held up by Byzantine columns. There is a "women's gallery" above the aisles.

The exterior is made with white blocks of limestone. The plain facade has minimum decorations. The inside, with its columns, arches, and gilded vaults is more inviting. The relics of Saint Nicholas are kept in a vault filled with marble columns and brick cross-vaults. The sacristy holds precious gifts donated by Popes, kings, and bishops.

The high altar is covered by a ciborium or baldachin of the 12th century. The central apse floors are inlaid with marble and oriental motifs of mythological flora and fauna. The resting place of Saint Nicholas is under the central altar of the crypt. Access to the crypt is by two staircases at the ends of the side aisles.

The basilica is located in the Largo Abate Elia district on the seashore by the Emperor Augustus waterfront (Lungomare Imperatore Augusto), a short distance from the Bari Centrale railway station.

Lungomare (Seafront) is a 15-kilometer-long waterfront promenade on the shore of the Adriatic Sea. There are great views of the harbor and the marina. The promenade is perfect for a stroll any time of day, but especially at sunset or early morning. Several seaside cafes are offering fresh caught seafood and drinks.

Sights along the way include the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, the Archaeological Museum, the Merchant Square (Piazza Mercantile) and the Ferrarese Square (Piazza Ferrarese), the Fort of Sant'Antonio, the Margaret Theatre Art Exhibition space, and Giuseppe Mazzini Square.

Joaquin Murat, or Gioacchino Murat, was brother-in-law to Napoleon Bonaparte. Gioacchino was a valuable officer to Napoleon. Among his rewards was the Kingdom of Naples. One of his acts in Bari was to order the construction of a new area next to the Old City (Citta Vecchia). The first house was built in 1816.

The area was laid out as an urban grid. It encompasses Vittorio Emanuele II Lane, Umberto I Square, and the University of Bari. It borders the districts of Saint Nicholas, Madonella, Carassi, Picone, Saint Paschal, and Freedom (Liberta).

During the Fascist period and later, after World War II, the district experienced controversial architectural changes. Mussolini's imposing influence can be detected in the modernist buildings along the waterfront.

Vittorio Emanuele II Lane (Corso Vittorio Emanuele II), a main road of Bari, runs about a half mile from the Margaret Theatre to Garibaldi Square. The lane has several governmental and cultural buildings along its length, including the Town Hall (Palazzo Dei Comune).

The 19th-century project envisaged by Ferdinand II, King of The Two Sicilies, was the construction of a "Bourbonic citadel" of public buildings. As it turns out, only the Prefecture building (Palazzo della Prefettura) and the Puccini Theater fit the bill. After the unification of Italy in 1861, the Ferdinando Road became Vittorio Emanuele II Lane.

In the latter part of the 19th century, the lane was widened and extended to Garibaldi Square in the west. In the 20th century, the Margaret Theatre (Teatro Margherita) was built at the east end, effectively blocking winds from the Adriatic Sea. It is a pleasant if busy street, with plenty of statues, palms, palaces, bars, and restaurants.

They say to get to know the real Bari, one must pay a visit to the Street of the "Little Ears" (Strada delle Orecchiette). It's Low Arch Street (Via dell'Arco Basso). There is a tunnel with a low arch that opens up to a hidden place among the twisting lanes of Old Bari (Bari Vecchia). It is a timeless place that somehow feels like home.

The attractions of the street are the women skillfully creating "Ears" (orecchiette) pasta in front of their homes. They sit behind wooden tables encroaching on the cobbled street, making a comforting, entertaining show for anyone passing by. They smile and chat with each other as they work, once in a while stopping to sell some of their pasta.

Not only do they sell homemade pasta, but visitors may also book a meal at a local home. The actual "ears" pasta section of the street is found between numbers 1 and 25. The "Ears" Pasta Street is just a short walk from the station. One can buy a sack of freshly handmade orecchiette, troccoli (thick spaghetti), cavatelli (small pasta shells), or taralli (Italian snack).