A plaque marks the house where the Italian illustrator, Gino Boccasile, was born in 1901.  His drawings would go on to adorn famous posters and magazine covers, until his fall from grace, at the end of the Fascist regime.  Even though he was tried, and later acquitted for collaborating with the Fascists, he remained somewhat of an outcast until his death.

Bari Centrale, the city’s main train station, was built in 1864, and is one of the busiest stations in Italy, being a major transportation hub for those wishing to travel even further south in Puglia.

Directly in front of the main entrance to the train station, in Piazza Aldo Moro, there is the Fontana Monumentale Piazza Aldo Moro.

At the end of the piazza, you will find the monument to Aldo Moro.

Inscribed on the stone tablet at the foot of the monument, there is the letter written by the Pope to the members of the Red Brigades, urging them to release Moro, who they had kidnapped, and were holding for ransom.  Of course, Moro’s body would later be discovered in Rome, a victim of domestic terrorism of the worst kind.

We made our way back down to Piazza Mercantile, which is one of the main piazzas of Bari Vecchia.  The Palazzo del Sedile, also known as Palazzo dei Nobili, was once the Town Hall.  The building dates from 1503, and was the seat of the city government until the 18th century.  At one point, the building housed the city’s first public theater.

The clock on the tower dates from 1604, and comes from Germany.

While today it seems as if it is a favorite place for people to hang out and socialize, in the past, the Colonna della Giustizia was the last spot someone would want to have been seen!  In the 16th century, debtors and other criminals were tied to this column, in order to humiliate them in front of their fellow citizens.  The column was erected here by the Spanish viceroy, Pedro de Toledo.  The lion at the base of the column the young woman is sitting on, in the photo below, dates from the 12th century, and was thought of as a talisman to protect the city from misfortune.

The Chiesa di Sant’Anna is located on Strada Palazzo di Città, # 63.  It was formerly known as the Chiesa di Santa Pelagia, and dates from the 11th century.

 

Next up: More from our last day in Bari, including a visit to the Museo Nicolaiano!

 

Note: This blog is written in English and Spanish, and the author takes no responsibility for the quality of any other translations that may appear.  If you have enjoyed this post, please, check out our archives for more posts from Bari, as well as other Italian destinations.  Grazie!