Bari is the capital of the Italian region of Puglia, in southern Italy. The city is facing the Adriatic Sea. After Naples, Bari is the most important economic center in southern Italy. Bari is a port city and an important university center. Bari is the city of Saint Nicholas, with a population of about 350,000 people. It is made up of four urban parts of the city, each of which is special in its own way - the old town (citta vechia di Bari), two modern ports on the peninsula, the southern district of Murat and the commercial district with a promenade by the sea.
The Latin name of the city is Barium which means "house", and that name originates from the time of ancient Rome. Before the Roman period, Greek influences prevailed in Bari, and in the ancient Greek language it was called Barion. Bari became part of the Roman Republic in the 3rd century BC. Bari was then one of the main trade routes, connecting the east with the coastal route. The port in Bari is famous and was mentioned fot the first time as early as 181 BC. In 347 BC, a bishop of Baria, named Gervasije, is mentioned, which indicated the great influence of the church even at that time. Bishops in Italy were dependent on the much more powerful Patriarch of Constantinople until the 10th century.
