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

**Saturday, September 27, 2025** at **7:30 PM**, at the picturesque **Church of San Michele Arcangelo** (Str. San Benedetto 16 – Bari Vecchia), the presentation of the book *“In oblivione iacio – A Journey into the Secrets of Bari's Churches”* (Quorum Editions) will take place, promoted by Aps Martinus (an association responsible for the restoration of the ancient 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 volume, curated by archaeologist **Federica Calabrese** and expert in local history, art, and architecture **Giancarlo Liuzzi**, is a true act of love for a stratified city, often observed only on the surface. Hidden or forgotten places of worship, yet extraordinarily alive, custodians of millennia-old stories and precious architectures and artworks.

It is an invitation to slow down, to gently step into those buildings which, beyond their religious function, safeguard memories, legends, architectures, artworks, rituals, and collective identities. Twenty-four places of worship – from the most famous to the almost invisible – become the stops of a journey that traverses all of Bari: from the old city (with the ancient church of San Martino, San Giovanni Crisostomo, and the monastery of San Benedetto in San Michele) to the neighborhoods (convent of San Giuseppe, 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 “Purgatory” churches of Modugno and Bitonto and the Veterana of Bitetto) and, finally, even an extraordinary place resulting from an ambitious “oriental” project left incomplete.

The curators focus on what is usually unnoticed in these places: paintings and artworks, inscriptions, stone elements, popular uses, architectural transformations, and even anecdotes passed down orally. The invitation is not just to visit these places, but to feel them, to inhabit them consciously. As the authors write, "in these places, the sacredness of everyday life is reborn, a call to the deepest essence of the city and its vibrant, pulsating soul," a declaration that resounds strongly today, in a time when cultural heritage often risks becoming merely a background rather than a protagonist.

The meeting on September 27, scheduled as part of the Celebrations in honor of San Michele Arcangelo, will be presented by Sigismondo Favia, a member of the homonymous Archconfraternity, and includes greetings from architect Gerardo Milillo, architect and president of Aps Martinus, followed by contributions from author Giancarlo Liuzzi and local history and art enthusiast Nicola Cortone, interspersed with readings by dialect poet Michele Aprile. It's an opportunity to converse with the authors, browse through the pages of the book, and – why not – start a new journey among the often unknown wonders of our city.

Free admission
Event link: https://fb.me/e/4TPcIePUB
For info and contacts: martinus.spazioartetempo@gmail.com
Web: fb.me/e/4tpciepub