Bari is restoring its most elegant historic buildings

The rediscovery of Bari’s great beauty also involves the restoration and reopening of some of its iconic buildings. The most recent of these, in that veritable architectural showcase that is the Murat district, has been Palazzo Mincuzzi, an emblem of the city’s Art Nouveau style, which now houses a clothing brand but, above all, has regained its role as a beacon of the eclectic style of the Apulian capital. A few months earlier, Palazzo Starita, situated between Piazza del Ferrarese, Piazza Mercantile and Via Venezia, had also reopened its doors. Acquired by Fondazione Puglia, it spans four floors, comprising a complex covering over 2,000 square metres, with exhibition spaces for exhibitions and cultural initiatives, and a panoramic roof garden for events and cultural activities. It will soon be home to a literary café. Among the most notable restoration projects of recent times is Palazzo Fizzarotti, with its unmistakable south-facing façade punctuated by five pointed arches, flanked at either end by two towers: the latter are surmounted by domes adorned with gold-leaf mosaics depicting the rising sun, whilst the old coat of arms of the city of Bari features a Cupid standing on a boat, shooting an arrow of eternal love between the city and the sea. It now also hosts exhibitions and artistic performances, whilst the historic Command Headquarters of the Schools/3rd Air Region in Bari – a bastion of Rationalism – is frequently open to the public; its garden houses the ‘Compass Rose’ mosaic, the elegant halls of the Officers’ Club and the pictorial decorations typical of the ‘Trentennio’ period.