The museum is housed inside a large "trullo" dating from the 18th C., and today holds temporary exhibitions. From the roof, a gorgeous view of Alberobello.

The cathedral's Roman architecture (12C) has been reworked several times. The aisles are prolonged by vaulted chapels in a half-cupola, like the apse. Not to be missed, in the left aisle, the copy of the Exultet, a precious manuscript of Byzantine origin, written in Beneventine", Mediaeval writing used in southern Italy. The illumination was placed the back. By mistake? No: the faithful could thus see the pictures whilst the parchment was unrolled for the singers.

The museum, within the university walls, will enable you to appreciate the ancient history of Bari and Puglia in general. The Greco-Roman collections come from the entire region. You will notice in particular an interesting collection of antique vases and the exhibition of pieces discovered in the Greek town of Canosa di Puglia.

Frederick II of Hohenstaufen (or of Souabe) reigned over the Puglia in the early 13C and raised the region to the height of its splendour. In 1233, he had this castle built on the former Byzantine and Norman buildings. The castle was reworked and reinforced in the 16C. You can still see however, the great trapezoid courtyard and two towers dating from the Souabe era.