SG Heritage Dictionary

Bari Encyclopedia Britannica

BARI, Terra di, a province of Italy, in the district of Apulia, bounded on the N. by the Adriatic, E. and S.E. by the province of Otranto, S.W. by Basilicata, and W. by Capitanata. It has an area of 1782 geographical square miles, and is divided into the three districts of Bari, Barletta, and Altamura. Except in the S. and S.W., where branches of the Apennines occur, the surface is generally level. The soil is for the most part calcareous, with a rich covering of loam. The climate is oppressively hot in summer, but very pleasant during the rest of the year. The only considerable river is the Ofanto, or A υfidus; but, in spite of the lack of irrigation, the province is among the best cultivated in the kingdom, producing abundance of grain, flax, tobacco, cotton, wine, oil, almonds, liquorice, &c. Swine, asses, goats, and sheep with a very fine wool, are numerous; and the salt and nitre works form important branches of industry. Among the more important towns besides the capital are Barletta, Trani, Bisceglie, Molfetta, Monopoli, and Fasano on the coast, and Andria Ruvo, Nola, Bitonto, and Conversano somewhat inland.

The population, which ia densest along the coast, was 604,540 in 1871....

Bari, the ancient Barium, capital of the above province and seat of an archbishop, is situated on a tongue of land projecting into the Adriatic, in lat. 41° 7' N., and long. 16° 53' E. It is defended by various fortifications, among which the most important is the citadel, which is about a mile in circumference, and dates from the Norman possession. The general character of the older part of the town is gloomy and irregular, but the newer portion has spacious streets, with handsome buildings. The priory of St Nicolo, built by Robert Guiscard in 1087 to hold the relics of the saint, which had been brought from Myra in Lycia, is interesting for its beautiful crypt and the tombs of Robert of Bari and Bona Sforza of Poland. The festival of St Nicholas, on the 8th of May, is still attended by thousands; and his body is believed by the superstitious to supply the Manna di Bari. The cathedral of St Sabino, a fine Gothic structure, was barbarously bestuccoed and transformed by Archbishop Gaeta in 1745. Among the other buildings of importance are the palace of the “Intendente,” the theatre (a large modern erection), the Lyceum, a college for the education of the nobility, and an “Athenaeum.” The commercial importance of Bari has been for some time on the increase; and its harbour, augmented by the building of two moles in 1855, has more recently received a still greater extension, while excellent anchorage is also afforded by its roads. The inhabitants are skilful seamen, and carry on a large traffic in their own ships with different parts of the Adriatic. The exports, which consist chiefly of olive oil, wine, mustard seed, cream of tartar, grain, and almonds and other fruits, were valued in 1872 at £642,818, while the imports of the same year amounted to £249,081. The railway to Brindisi was opened in 1865, and another line has since been extended to Taranto. Barium, according to the evidence of its coins, was a place of importance in the 3d century b.c., and had a decided Greek element in its culture; but it never acquired any great influence in the old Roman world, and all allusions to it in the classical authors are of an incidental description. After the fall of the Western empire it was subject in turn to the Greek emperors, to the dukes of Benevento, and to the Saracen invaders. From the last it was delivered in 971 by Louis IL, and again in 1002 by the Venetians, who left their Lion of St Mark as an emblem to the city. Not long after it was raised to the rank of capital of Apulia by the Greek emperors, who were soon (1040) compelled to acknowledge it as a free principality under Argyrus. After a four years’ siege it was taken in 1070 by the Normans, who lost it in 1137 to Lothaire, but recovered it a few years later. In 1156 it was razed by William the Bad, and has several times suffered a similar fate. In the 14th century Bari became a duchy, which continued to exist till 1558, when it was bequeathed by Bona Sforza to Philip II. of Spain.

See Beatillo, Historia de Bari, Napoli, 1637; Lombardi, Compendio cronologico delie vite degli arciυescoυi Baresi, Napoli, 1697.

9th ed. Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 3, p. 374
[767 words — estimated reading time: 5 minutes]

Baria [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

Baryta.

Baric [Adjective] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. Of or pertaining to barium; as, baric oxide.

2. Of or pertaining to weight, esp. to the weight or pressure of the atmosphere as measured by the barometer.

Barilla [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. A plant cultivated in Spain for its ashes, from which the purest kind of mineral alkali is obtained; used in making glass and soap, and in bleaching linen. The plant is cut and laid in heaps, and burnt, the salts running into a hole in the ground where they form a vitrified lump.

2. The alkali procured from this plant.

Barilla [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. A name given to several species of Salsola from which soda is made, by burning the barilla in heaps and lixiviating the ashes.

2. The alkali produced from the plant, being an impure carbonate of soda, used for making soap, glass, etc., and for bleaching purposes.

3. Impure soda obtained from the ashes of any seashore plant, or kelp.

Barillet [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

A little cask, or something resembling one.

Baring [Present participle and verbal noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

of Bare

Barite [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

Native sulphate of barium, a mineral occurring in transparent, colorless, white to yellow crystals (generally tabular), also in granular form, and in compact massive forms resembling marble. It has a high specific gravity, and hence is often called heavy spar. It is a common mineral in metallic veins.

Baritone [\N] Webster's Dictionary 1828

BAR'ITONE , [ See Barytone .]

Baritone [Adjective] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. Grave and deep, as a kind of male voice.

2. Not marked with an accent on the last syllable, the grave accent being understood.

Baritone [Adjective and noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

See Barytone.

Baritone [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. A male voice, the compass of which partakes of the common bass and the tenor, but which does not descend as low as the one, nor rise as high as the other.

2. A person having a voice of such range.

3. The viola di gamba, now entirely disused.

4. A word which has no accent marked on the last syllable, the grave accent being understood.

Barium [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1828

The metallic basis of baryte or baryta, which is an oxyd of barium

Barium [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

One of the elements, belonging to the alkaline earth group; a metal having a silver-white color, and melting at a very high temperature. It is difficult to obtain the pure metal, from the facility with which it becomes oxidized in the air. Atomic weight, 137. Symbol, Ba. Its oxide called baryta.