Bari Italy

Bari is the main city of Puglia, sitting on the heel of Italy’s boot on the Adriatic coast. It divides neatly into two contrasting zones: Barivecchia, the ancient fishing quarter, a dense maze of whitewashed alleys where elderly women still make orecchiette pasta by hand on their doorsteps; and the nineteenth-century Murat grid, a rational planned city of wide boulevards and Liberty-style palaces built under Bourbon rule. The Basilica di San Nicola, one of the most important pilgrimage churches in southern Europe, anchors the old town and draws visitors year-round. Food is the main draw for most visitors: Puglia produces the majority of Italy’s olive oil and durum wheat, and Bari’s seafood - raw sea urchin, grilled octopus, and tiella rice - is exceptional. The city is increasingly accessible from northern Europe with direct budget flights, and its position makes it a natural base for exploring the trulli of Alberobello, the caves of Matera, and the Salento peninsula. For conference attendees, Bari is a genuinely rewarding destination that remains far less visited than comparable Italian cities.

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