BariExperience.com | Swabian Castle in Bari: Come see the medieval-style Bari Castle in Puglia. Discover the Norman-Swabian Castle in the city of Bari. The walls of the Swabian Castle, the city's fortress. Visit the castle in Bari. Visit Puglia during your holidays in Bari.

Among Italy's most famous castles: a visit to the Swabian Castle, just outside Bari Vecchia

Bari has its own castle , and this too is among the city's historical symbols. Built in the 13th century, the Swabian Castle Bari 's most important and characteristic buildings , as well as being one of the most significant Romanesque monuments in Italy .

The Swabian castle has a rather troubled history as it has been subject to several reconstructions, changes of ownership and intended use: built by order of the Norman King Roger II , then destroyed by King William the Bad, and then subsequently passed to the attention of Frederick II of Swabia who rebuilt and fortified it.

But the story continues, in fact in the second half of the 13th century the Swabian castle underwent a further restoration aimed at strengthening the North wing (which at the time ran along the sea )

until the last and decisive intervention 17th century Swabian castle, making it what it is today.

This is the structural intervention carried out by Isabella D'Aragona and her daughter Bona Sforza who, with a development plan oriented towards heavy artillery, envisaged the construction of a wall around the castle characterised by a moat .

Over the following centuries, the Norman-Swabian castle changed its purpose several times, first becoming a prison, then a barracks, and around the 1940s the headquarters of the Superintendency of Monuments and Galleries of Puglia and Basilicata.

Now that Bari Castle is open to the public, many of its spaces are dedicated to exhibitions, conferences, and cultural events.
Once in Bari, Swabian Castle is a must , as it's located right on the outskirts of Bari's old town (or Bari Vecchia, if you prefer). Furthermore, if you're lucky, you might find yourself visiting the building during an exhibition you're interested in and decide to attend.

For information on opening times and tickets to visit Bari Castle , please visit this link.