ASIANOVERLAND.NET WINTER EUROPEAN DAY 14/187:  BARI TO SAINT NICHOLAS, ITALY

“DAY 14, 25/12/80 BARI

IT’S BLOODY XMAS YOU STUPID PEOPLE.

MERRY XMAS & Thank you for the spumante.

Guess who got caught in the Xmas present bag?

SANTA!!!!"

Bari is the capital city of the Apulia region in southern Italy, the southern peninsular section of Italy, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Otranto and Gulf of Taranto to the south. The region comprises 19,345 square kilometers and its population is about four million. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas!!! (Where else would you be for Christmas???!!!).

Bari has a population of 320,000, over 116 square kilometres

Bari is made up of four different urban sections, and we walk through and around most of them. To the north is the closely built old town on the peninsula between two modern harbours, with the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, the Cathedral of San Sabino (1035–1171) and the Hohenstaufen Castle built for Frederick II, which is a major nightlife district. To the south is the Murat quarter, the modern heart of the city, which is laid out on a rectangular grid-plan with a promenade on the sea and the major shopping district.

Apulia is one of the richest archaeological regions in Italy, first colonized by Mycenaean Greeks. Some parts of Apulia were conquered by the Muslim Saracens, and the Emirate of Bari was established by Muhammad Abul Abbas of Sicily.

A number of castles were built in the area by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, including Castel del Monte, sometimes called the "Crown of Apulia".

Apulia was an autonomous duchy until 1130 when its duke became king of Sicily. After 1282, when the kingdom lost the island of Sicily itself, Apulia remained part of the Kingdom of Naples.

As a result of the French–Spanish war of 1501–1504, Naples came under the rule of the Spanish Empire from 1504 to 1714. When Barbary pirates of North Africa sacked Vieste in 1554, they took an estimated 7,000 slaves. The coast of Apulia was occupied at times by the Ottomans, the Turks and the Venetians.

In 1861 the region became part of the Kingdom of Italy.

Saint Nicholas of Myra (15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (now Demre, Turkey) during the Roman Empire. Because of the many miracles attributed to him, he is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, travellers, merchants, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, unmarried people and students. His  legendary habit of secret gift-giving created the traditional model of Santa Claus ("Saint Nick") through Sinterklaas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

↑ Day 186 ↓ Day 188