Presentazione del volume: "In oblivione iacio - Viaggio nei segreti delle chiese di Bari" di F. Calabrese e G. Liuzzi

Sure, here is the translation of the provided Italian text into English:

**Friday, November 7, 2025** at **6:30 PM**, at the evocative **Church of Purgatory in Bitonto** (Via Giandonato Rogadeo 17), there will be the presentation of the book *“In oblivione iacio – Journey into the secrets of the churches of Bari”* (Quorum Editions) promoted by Aps Martinus (an association responsible for the restoration of the millenary church of San Martino in Bari Vecchia) with the support of the Directorate-General for Education, Research, and Cultural Institutes of the Ministry of Culture.

The book, curated by archaeologist **Federica Calabrese** and expert in local history, art, and architecture **Giancarlo Liuzzi**, is a true labor of love for a layered city, often observed only on the surface. Hidden or forgotten places of worship, yet extraordinarily alive, guardians of millennial stories and precious architectures and artworks. It is an invitation to slow down, to step gently into those buildings that, beyond their religious function, hold memories, legends, architectures, artworks, rituals, and collective identities.

Twenty-four places of worship – from the most famous to those almost invisible – become the stops on a journey that traverses the entire Bari territory: from the old city (with the millenary church of San Martino, San Giovanni Crisostomo, and the monastery of San Benedetto in San Michele) to the neighborhoods (the convent of San Giuseppe, the church of Santa Fara, and San Pasquale Baylon), from the countryside (with the rock churches of Santa Candida, Strada Martinez, and the rural churches of Annunziata and Madonna della Grotta) to the urban outskirts (the churches of "Purgatory" of Bitonto and Modugno, the Abbey of San Leone in Bitonto and the Veterana of Bitetto) and, in conclusion, even an extraordinary place resulting from an ambitious "oriental" project left incomplete.

The curators focus on what usually goes unnoticed in these places: paintings and artworks, inscriptions, stone elements, popular uses, architectural transformations, and even anecdotes passed down orally. The invitation is not only to visit these places but to feel them, to inhabit them with awareness. As the authors write, "in these places, the sacredness of the everyday is reborn, a call to the deepest essence of the city and its living and pulsating soul," a statement that resonates strongly today, in a time when cultural heritage often risks becoming mere background, instead of a protagonist.

The meeting on November 7 will include greetings from Domenico Pinto, president of the City Council of Bitonto, and Giuseppe Vacca, prior of the Archconfraternity of Santa Maria del Suffragio, followed by speeches from the author Giancarlo Liuzzi and the local history and art enthusiast Luigi Sebastiano Lauta. The meeting will be moderated by Marino Pagano, journalist and essayist. It's an opportunity to dialogue with the authors, browse through the pages of the book and – why not – begin a new journey through the wonders, often unknown, of our territory.

Free entry
Event link: https://fb.me/e/3CHEuerei
For information and contacts: martinus.spazioartetempo@gmail.com
Web: fb.me/e/4tpciepub