Out of all the cities we have visited in Italy, none speak to my heart like Rome does!  There is something magical and mysterious about this city, and, at the same time, welcoming and exciting, full of art and history, not to mention the incredible food.  I have to admit that it does not hurt…

A plaque on the facade of a building in the Old Town marks the site where the Jesuits founded a school in 1583, and later, a college, to educate the youth of Bari. The Museo Nicolaiano is a museum found next to the Basilica di San Nicola, and was first opened to the public in…

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…

In Piazza Armando Diaz, you will find the monument to the Italian General,  Armando Diaz, which dates from 1937, and is by the artist Giulio Cozzoli. The Grande Albergo delle Nazioni, now part of iH Hotels, is one of the top hotels in the city. The Palazzo della Regione Puglia can be found along Lungomare…

Bari Vecchia is made up of what seems to be a maze of twisting, narrow streets, sometimes barely larger than passageways, and because of this, even I, someone who has been there a few times, can easily get disorientated while exploring it.  For me, that is part of the fun and adventure of being there! …

In Piazza Cesare Battisti, you will find the bust of Cesare Battisti, an Austrian-Italian who was a journalist and a politician, as well as being a renowned geographer, and who was executed by the Austrian troops in 1916. For a step back in time, pay a visit to the Farmacia Cav. Attilio Romita, which dates…

A plaque marks the building in which Aldo Moro served as a substitute judge. At Corso Vittorio Emanuele, #193, you will find Palazzo Fizzarotti.  Dating from 1905, this was the home of Emanuel Fizzarotti, a businessman, and banker from Lecce.  It is a grand structure, full of historical artwork and ornate architecture, and it is…

The Basilica di San Nicola is one of Bari’s most popular landmarks.  It is an important pilgrimage site for both, Roman Catholics as well as Orthodox Christians.  The Basilica dates from 1087, and was built to house the relics of Saint Nicholas, which were stolen from Myra (in Turkey), and brought to Bari during the…

The Arciconfraternita di San Giuseppe can be found at Via Filippo Corridoni, #20.  It is the only church in Bari where the Holy Mass is celebrated in Latin, normally on Saturdays at 7:15pm. The Museo Civico was founded in 1913.  In 1977, it was moved to its present location at Strada Sagges, #13, in the…

In Piazza Umberto I, you will find the Monumento a Umberto I, an equestrian statue and monument dedicated to the second king of Italy, Umberto I, who was assassinated in Monza in 1900.  The monument dates from 1903, and is by the artist Filippo Cifariello. Palazzo Mincuzzi can be found at Via Sparano da Bari,…

Our last destination in the Puglia region was the city of Bari.  Bari is a little less than an hour away from Alberobello by car, which is really the best way to travel in this section of Italy.  Even though we had a bit of a problem getting started (the first driver who was assigned…

The Basilica Santuario dei Santi Cosma e Damiano is the main church of Alberobello.  Even though the building of the basilica was begun in 1700, the structure was not entirely finished until 1966.  In 1785, the relics of the two saints, who were twin brothers, were moved here from Rome.  Brought to Alberobello at that…