Off-the-beaten track in Bari

It was the day of my 32^nd birthday and a warm Saturday in June.  However, rather than celebrating with friends in a Brixton beer garden, I was in the press room at Wembley Stadium, North London.  I had spent the day in my then-role as PR Director, looking after music and entertainment journalists at a huge pop concert hosted by one of the UK’s biggest commercial radio station groups. We were now having to contend with members of a well-known MOR American pop-rock group throwing a tantrum because, a) they had decided they didn’t want to speak to the assembled throng of media who had been waiting patiently for them after all, and b) the elevator that had been called to take them back down to their dressing room on the ground floor wasn’t arriving “fast enough” for their liking.  I decided it was time for a change in scenery.

In January, after living and working in London for 11 years, I moved to Bari and began a new life as an English Teacher at the second largest language school in Italy.   The school in question has 2,000 students and 50 teachers. To say it’s been a step out of my comfort zone would be an understatement but so far, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the experience and have found the work very rewarding.

Prior to applying for the role, my main previous knowledge of Bari was through the legendary 1990s Channel 4 show Gazzetta Football Italia. Also, the fact that the city’s football team was famous for being the first club that English midfielder David Platt signed for during his spell in Italy – indeed the £5.5 million fee S.S.C. Bari paid for him was a British transfer record at the time.  Platt would leave Bari one season later to join Juventus and later Sampdoria in Genoa.

Bari has lived up to its reputation as the “Paris of the Mediterranean” though and is a very liveable city and a great place to immerse yourself in Southern Italian culture.  Before the COVID-19 lockdown and in the brief return to normality during the summer, I have been able to do a fair amount of exploring.  Whilst Bari Vecchia (Bari’s old town) is very quaint and a great place to lose yourself, it is also somewhat now oriented at tourists with its many restaurants, bars and novelty shops.  Below are some of my favourite, more off-the-beaten track places in the city.  Let’s hope they are all able to resume normal service in the not-too-distant future.

Stadio San Nicola, Strada Torrebella

Situated 5 km from the centre of Bari, Stadio San Nicola is the home of S.S.C. Bari.  Built for the 1990 FIFA World Cup and designed by the esteemed architect Renzo Piano, whose other creations include The Centre Pompidou in Paris and London’s The Shard, the stadium is a stunning feat of engineering.  Designed to resemble a flower, its 58,270 seats are arranged into 26 concrete ‘petals’ which gives the illusion that the stands are floating.  The changing rooms are under the pitch and accessed via a door hidden in the turf and the stadium is known locally as ‘The Spaceship’.  It’s quite the sight from the ring road around Bari – particularly in the ‘golden’ hour just before sunset. 

With S.S.C. Bari now playing in Serie C, the third tier of Italian football, Stadio San Nicola is sadly rarely full these days.  However, watching a game here is still an experience, particularly in the lively Curva Nord where the club’s passionate ‘ultras’ stand, thump drums and sing throughout the match.  Bari’s veteran star striker Mirco Antenucci also spent two years played for Leeds United in the UK, as well as for various Serie A teams.  Antonio Conte also cut his management teeth here in 2007-2009. Tickets cost as little as €10 and buses go direct from outside Bari Centrale station.

Ex Caserma Liberata, Via Giulio Petroni, 8

Located in the former Rossani Barracks on Via Giulio Petroni, Ex Caserma Liberata is one of a kind.  Home since 2014 to a community of artists, environmentalists and free thinkers, this sprawling space has been lovingly decorated with some fantastic street art and boasts an urban garden, a music and theatre venue and even an indoor skateboard ramp.  Check the Facebook page for the latest live events that range from poetry readings, punk festivals and dub and reggae parties.

Officina degli Esordi, Via Francesco Crispi, 5

Part-arts centre, part-café, part-workshop, part-studio, Officina degli Esordi is situated between the Murat and Libertà neighbourhoods and is one of Bari’s creative hubs.  An impressive futuristic-looking space with lots of glass, steel and floor-to-ceiling windows, the venue hosts music, theatre, cinema and visual art events, as well as workshops during the day.  There’s also a sizeable, green roof terrace and bar.  I checked out the Italian musician Edda here in February – formerly the frontman of cult Milan group Ritmo Tribale.

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Prinz Zaum, Via Cardassi, 93

Prinz Zaum is one of my favourite finds in the Madonnella neighbourhood.  It is a café, bookstore and performance space – often hosting acoustic musical performance and book readings.  They also have a photo wall dedicated to David Bowie (it feels very familiar as Brixton, my home in London is famous for being his birthplace and has a large mural of him on the high street), board games and funnily enough, some English ales, such as the Wytchwood Brewery’s Hobgoblin on draught.  A great place to hang out with like-minded souls or to get your head down and do some work during the day.

Kursaal Santa Lucia, Largo Adua, 5

“Kursaal” is a word deriving from German meaning “a public building in which entertainment is provided”. Kursaal Santa Lucia was built in Bari in 1925 overlooking Largo Adua and the Adriatic Sea. It served for many decades as a much-loved theatre and cinema before becoming derelict. For a period in the last century, Bari was known as “the city with too many theatres” with Teatro Petruzzelli, Teatro Piccinni, Teatro Margherita and Kursaal Santa Lucia all competing for business.

A fine example of late-Liberty style architecture, the building is currently being faithfully restored with the help of Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI – the Italian equivalent of English Heritage) and both its main theatre and upstairs function room are set to reopen to the public in 2021. It’ll be exciting to see Bari re-gaining a 1,000-capacity arts venue in the new year!

Pizzeria Il Desiderio, Via Dalmazia, 54

My go-to pizzeria in Bari, Il Desiderio is a traditional neighbourhood restaurant on Via Dalmazia in the heart of Madonnella.  The menu has over 50 different kinds of pizzas to choose from, all made with fresh ingredients.  Many of them will set you back just €4 or €5.  The owners are very friendly and bruschetta will often be served ‘on the house’ as a starter.  There’s a takeaway option too (doing a roaring trade during the current situation) and many customers choose to enjoy a €1 ice cold Peroni whilst they wait for their pizza to be cooked to order.

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Let’s hope that Bari and its independent businesses are able to get back on their feet soon!