The Legend of the Witches' Arch in Old Bari

An arch that is officially unnamed, but which in old Bari is known as the Arco delle Masciàre

In old Bari there are around fifty arches whose names take inspiration from their architectural structure, or pay homage to ancient traditions and legends of Bari.

However, there is an arch in old Bari that isn't officially listed in the official toponymy, but everyone recognizes it as the "Arch of the Witches ." According to legend, this specific arch, with its Gothic appearance, was a meeting place for the so-called "Gatte Masciàre," women with a certain mastery of seduction, spells, and especially the evil eye against those who offended them or on behalf of those who addressed them. So let's take a big leap back in time to understand more: what exactly did these women do, and why were they nicknamed Gatte Masciàre ?

The story goes that these beautiful and charming women would seduce men in the morning to become their wives or lovers (so as to blend in with the Bari community and not arouse suspicion) , and late at night they would practice their spells by gathering right under the anonymous arch.

The dark side of this legend , however, lies not only in the story itself, but also in the ways in which these women performed their rituals. It is said that these "witches" were able to transform into black cats , and they did so by climbing to the highest point of their homes, naked, dousing themselves in "masciàro oil" and uttering a few magical phrases. Once the ritual was over, the women would leap into the void, land on all fours and head towards Corte Cavallerizza , the alley that connects the Cathedral area with that of the Swabian Castle of Bari, as well as under the "Arco delle Masciàre .

For this reason, according to the locals, anyone who unfortunately crossed the gaze of those black cats at night had to make the sign of the cross and recite a very specific phrase, thus effectively protecting themselves from any negative influences from witches and sorceresses who, according to this legend, hid behind the guise of a feline.