The Convent di Santa Chiara is located on the north eastern side of the promontory of Bari Vecchia, overlooking lungomare Antonio De Tullio to the East, strada Tresca and the Swabian Castle to the South and borders the former convent of San Francesco della Scarpa to the North. On the eastern side were the city walls. The medieval entrance gate stood in the stretch of wall between the castle and the Church of Santa Chiara, whose main approach was by the present-day via di Santa Chiara.
Today the former convent retains a particularly compact shape, a four-storey parallelepiped on a rectangular layout, the result of progressive additions made between the 15th and 20th centuries.
The complex of the Church and Convent of Santa Chiara has its origins in a 13th century church built by the Knights of the Teutonic order dedicated to Santa Maria degli Alemanni. Later, the church was subject to the tutelage of San Leonardo della Mattina in Siponto.
It has been the headquarters for the Soprintendenza Archeologia, belle arti e paesaggio of the metropolitan area of Bari since September 2016.
Segreteria della SABAP Bari
email: sabap-ba.segreteria@beniculturali.it
tel: +39 080 5286207 / 5286297
