🇮🇹 Bari: Puglia's Underrated Gem

If Naples rules southern Italy, Bari commands the southeast! As Puglia's capital, this coastal city shines as a gateway to Matera and Alberobello—though it's more practical base than tourist hotspot. 🏰 Half-Day Highlights Castello Svevo Norman roots (12th c.), rebuilt after Sicilian destruction 🏰 Later a prison, then gifted to Polish royalty! 👑 Chiesa di San Ferdinando Neoclassical oddity with clock-tower sail ⛪⏱️ Old Town (Bari Vecchia) Honey-colored limestone maze 🟨 (Medieval tax-dodge architecture!) Pro tip: Look for laundry-draped balconies—real-life postcards 👗 Lungomare Promenade 15km of Adriatic daydreams 🌊 🍄 Side Quest: Alberobello 1hr drive → UNESCO trulli houses (14th-c. tax evasion homes! 🍄💸) #PugliaUnlocked #ItalianHiddenGems