Castello Svevo di Bari
The Norman-Swabian fortress on the edge of Bari's old town, a museum venue with the Gipsoteca and Byzantine archaeological areas.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Castello Svevo di Bari is a 12th-century fortress, traditionally attributed to the Norman king Roger II, who had it built in 1131 on existing Byzantine structures. After the intervention of William I the Bad, between 1233 and 1240 Frederick II of Swabia recovered it and included it among his castra exempta (fortresses exempt from feudal obligations).
In the 16th century Isabella of Aragon and her daughter Bona Sforza transformed the castle into a Renaissance residence and strengthened its defences with a bastioned wall. Under the Bourbons it fell into a long period of abandonment, serving first as a prison and then as a barracks. From 1937 it housed the Soprintendenza ai Monumenti e alle Gallerie di Puglia e Basilicata (heritage authority for Apulia and Basilicata). The building was opened to the public for the first time in 1957; in 2017, after restoration, the offices moved out and the first floor was reopened to visitors.
Today the castle houses the Gipsoteca, reopened in 2011, with plaster casts of the sculptural decorations of Apulian monuments and cathedrals, made in 1911 by Pasquale Duretti and Mario Sabatelli, and two small excavations on the ground floor with structures from the Byzantine period. In the Torre dei Minorenni, finds such as earrings from a high-status burial at Canosa di Puglia are displayed. The castle also hosts temporary exhibitions and cultural events.
Highlights
- Gipsoteca with plaster casts of Apulian monuments from 1911
- Byzantine archaeological areas on the ground floor
- Earrings from a Canosa burial in the Torre dei Minorenni
- Renaissance court of Isabella of Aragon and Bona Sforza
- 16th-century bastioned wall
Permanent exhibitions
- Gipsoteca – Plaster casts of the sculptural decorations of important Apulian monuments and cathedrals, made in 1911 for the Esposizione Etnografica Regionale.
- Aree archeologiche bizantine – Two small excavations on the ground floor show structures from the Byzantine period.
- Founded
- 1957
- Operated by
- Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Puglia (Ministero della Cultura)
- Visitors per year
- approx. 100,245
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2young people aged 18 to 25 |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for under-18s, under the rules of the state museums. |
Free admission: Free admission on the first Sunday of the month (“Domenica al museo”, museum Sunday).
Optional online booking.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The castle stands on the edge of the old town, near the port area and the Cathedral.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
- Coat check
The site lists a bookshop and a cloakroom among its services.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| Good to know | The services listed include audio guides, guided tours, multimedia stations, signposted routes and captions. |
