Do your friends ask you to tell them about your last trip to Bari?
Take the opportunity to surprise them with some extraordinary, mysterious, and fantastic facts about our city!
Like all places rich in history, Bari hides legends about its past made up of foreign dominations, coexistence between peoples, and witches!
These myths are figments of the imagination. Still, they can reveal some curious and amusing facts about Bari. And maybe send some shivers down your spine!
Do you want to know which are the most characteristic legends of Bari? Then continue reading!
The legend of Muffarang and Befanì
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Bari was conquered first by the Byzantines and then by the Ottoman Turks.
In the 7th century, the powerful emir Muffarang ruled Bari. He was a warrior who dreamed of converting the people of Bari to the Islamic religion.
To overcome the resistance of the people of Bari, who instead were of the Christian faith, Muffarang decided to make a bold gesture.
According to legend, in the night between 5 and 6 January the streets of Bari were crossed by the witch Befanì, who threatened the people with a long sharp sickle.
The people of Bari were terrified and locked themselves at home for fear of being decapitated by the terrible witch.
The intrepid Muffarang decided to face Befanì, and on Epiphany, he began to wander the streets of Bari Vecchia in the hope of beating her in a duel.
When Muffarang met Befani, he didn’t even have time to draw his dagger. The wicked witch suddenly decapitated him and stuck his head on the lintel of a small house in Strada Quercia.
After his death, Muffarang’s spirit continued to roam the streets of Bari Vecchia for centuries, tormenting the people of Bari with his laments.
Fed up with his ghost, the inhabitants of Strada Quercia decided to get rid of the spirit by destroying the house where his death occurred.
However, Muffarang’s spirit still seems to roam the streets of Bari Vecchia. One day a bizarre sculpture shaped like a Moor’s Head appeared where he died.
Nobody knows who put that head there, but if you are not afraid of ghosts you can go and see it in person in Strada Quercia in Bari Vecchia!
The legend of the holiday of the gods
Do you know why in Bari we love raw seafood so much? It has something to do with Neptune, the god of the seas!
According to an ancient legend, Bari was loved by the gods of Olympus.
Hermes, the messenger of the gods, came here to find out how mortals lived. Dionysus, the god of wine, loved to keep his Bacchanalia in Bari. And even Athena, the goddess of Wisdom, introduced Bari to the famous philosopher Plato.
Instead, Neptune didn’t like our city at all.
Curious to find out if the people of Bari offered him the right sacrifices, one day he visited Bari. But with great annoyance, he discovered that the locals ate only meat and despised fish!
Furious, he threatened to destroy Bari with a tidal wave if the people of Bari didn’t begin to eat fish too.
Frightened by the god’s anger, the people of Bari agreed to change their habits. And we can say that we did not regret it at all!
The legend of the Gatte Masciare
According to an ancient belief, black cats hid the evil spirits of witches.
No one believes in this superstition anymore. Albeit, there is a legend of Bari linked to black cats, witches, and a mysterious arch in the old city.
We are talking about the legend of the Gatte Masciare, women able to cast spells and transform themselves into black cats.
The story goes that in the morning these fascinating women seduced the men of Bari. At night, instead, they gathered under an arch of Bari Vecchia to make witchcraft.
In order not to be discovered, they used the olio masciaro to transform themselves into black cats.
Once turned into cats, they headed swiftly towards Corte Cavallerizza, the alley where the dreaded Arco delle Streghe is.
Hence, if you meet a black cat during the night, you must cross yourself and recite the following incantation Driana meste ca va pela vì, degghìa ngondrà Jesus, Gesèppe e Marì (Master Diana, what are you going along the way, I have to meet Jesus, Joseph, and Mary).
In this way, you will be protected from the spells of these fearsome witches!
Do you want to discover other legends about the city of Bari?
Book your “The First” Free Tour and discover the mysteries of Bari Vecchia together with our formidable guides!