I recently spent one day in Ruvo di Puglia, a charming small town just outside Bari in Southern Italy. Although Ruvo di Puglia is well-known to the Pugliese, few foreign tourists take the short train ride from Bari to this historic town. That’s a shame, as it’s a beautiful place to spend a morning strolling, and there are a few very interesting things to do in Ruvo di Puglia that make it stand out from the bigger cities in the region.
In my Ruvo di Puglia travel guide I’m going to cover a bit of background about the town, exactly how to get there from Bari, and the best things to see and do once you arrive. If you come to Ruvo di Puglia it’s important to be flexible; South Italy doesn’t run with the efficiency of Switzerland and you may find transportation delays, surprise closures or other minor inconveniences, but that’s all part of the adventure when you’re traveling in Puglia!
Introducing Ruvo di Puglia
The word Ruvo connects back to the idea of a powerful torrent of river water, and people lived on the rivers that used to flow around Ruvo di Puglia since at least the time of the Peucetians (the 6th century BCE). Like nearby Bitonto, the town flourished thanks to its wealth of olives, which you’ll see out the train window as you arrive in town. It was an important city in the region during the middle ages, and many of the important buildings you’ll see around the historic center date back to that period.
Today, Ruvo di Puglia is home to about 25,000 people (some live in the urban town area, but many others live on the surrounding olive farms). The historic city center is shaped like a pentagon, divided by three main streets that form a Y-shape: Via Veneto, Via Cattedrale and Via de Gasperi. As you stroll the narrow cobblestone streets you’d be forgiven for thinking you were actually in a village of less than 5,000 inhabitants: you’re unlikely to see more than a handful of other tourists, the shops and restaurants seem to open and close according to the wind, and the only sounds you’ll hear for most of the day are the parakeets who nest in the trees dotted around the town’s piazzas.
Where is Ruvo di Puglia?
Ruvo di Puglia is about 35 kilometers west (and slightly inland) from Bari, in Puglia, Italy. It’s on the train line that runs from Bari to the Bari International Airport, Bitonto and eventually Andria (where you can transfer to a bus to Barletta).
How to Get from Bari to Ruvo di Puglia
To get to Ruvo di Puglia from Bari I recommend taking the regional train operated by Ferrovie Nord Barese (a private train company separate from the Italian national rail system). If you’re standing outside the front doors to the Bari Centrale train station, the Ferrovie Nord Barese station is to your right, in the building shown at the top of this section.
There are multilingual ticket machines inside the entrance to the station. I recommend buying a return ticket (also called A/R or “andata e ritorno” to save time later. The machine will spit out two separate tickets: one for the outbound trip and one for the return journey. Follow the stairs down to the platforms, validate your ticket and get on board your train. The train takes about 50 minutes and costs €3.40 (as of July 2024).
There are usually one or two trains per hour, and you can find the full schedule on the train company’s website. When you’re boarding, double check the platform as on each track there are two separate trains (for example, 1A and 1B both share the same track). Everything is signed clearly and the staff can help if you’re confused.
Visiting Ruvo di Puglia and Bitonto in One Day
You can combine Ruvo di Puglia with Bitonto to make a full day trip from Bari. However, keep in mind that almost everything in both towns closes from about 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, so you may find yourself with some time with nothing to do except each lunch and stroll around.
Ruvo di Puglia and Bitonto are less than twenty kilometers apart, and the train between them takes only twenty minutes. You have two options:
- Take the train from Bari to Ruvo di Puglia, then catch the train to Bitonto, then return to Bari. This way, the longest train ride is at the start of the day.
- Or, you can take the train from Bari to Bitonto, then catch a train to Ruvo to Puglia, then return to Bari from there. This means your longest train ride will be at the end of the day.
If you’re planning to visit both towns by train on the same day, I recommend not buying a return ticket in Bari. Instead, buy point-to-point tickets as you go about your day.
You can also do the same day trip by car, of course! However, I found it very easy and stress-free to travel around Puglia without a car (no worrying about parking!).
The Best Things to Do in Ruvo di Puglia
As I mentioned above, almost everything in Ruvo di Puglia shuts down in the early afternoon. That means that in order to experience all the best things to do in Ruvo di Puglia you need to get an early start. I caught the 7:57 train from Bari and arrived less than an hour later; this gave me enough time to see the main sights before they closed around lunch.
You could also try coming to Ruvo di Puglia in the later afternoon (arriving around 3:30 or 4:00 pm, perhaps?) but I can’t guarantee that any of these places will be open (no matter what their websites or Google Maps say!). Although I often write my travel guides in chronological or geographical order, the attractions I’ll list below are in order of significance, so try to plan your time so that definitely see the things at the top of the list, and then visit the ones towards the bottom if you have extra time before you head back to Bari.
Jatta National Archeological Museum (Inside Palazzo Jatta)
The Jatta National Archeological Museum is definitely the highlight of a visit to Ruvo di Puglia. This small museum is home to more than 1000 pieces of art dating back to Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece (and even earlier!). Your visit starts with a seven-minute video in Italian (English subtitles are available) that highlights the amazing discovery of these artifacts in Ruvo di Puglia, and the commitment of the wealthy Jatta family to preserve and protect the pieces.
Admission to the museum is €5, and since there is no signage inside they recommend you pay an additional €6 for the audioguide (which takes about 45 to 60 minutes, according to the sign at the front desk). As I didn’t have the full hour I opted to just look around and use the resources on Wikipedia to help me understand what I was seeing.
Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption
The Cathedral of Ruvo di Puglia is a must-visit while you are in town. As you enter you will walk over a glass floor revealing both Ancient Roman and medieval ruins, and inside the cathedral you can find frescoes dating back to the thirteen hundreds (look to the right of the altar) as well as a statue of the city’s patron saint (Saint Blaise) and other works of art.
Underneath the church there is a hypogeum, or an underground temple. At the time of my visit they weren’t letting anyone access this area; you can try your luck.
Cathedral Bell Tower
The Cathedral’s 33-meter bell tower predates the church, as it was constructed around 1000 for defensive, rather than religious, purposes. You can’t go up, but if you’re in the area on the hour you will hear the bells chime.
Largo Cattedrale
I wanted to highlight the piazza in front of the Cathedral as I thought it was one of the most beautiful spots in Ruvo di Puglia. You have all three primary colors represented on the building facades, and they stand out against the striking white stone facades that are more common on the town’s streets.
Ruvo’s Castle, or Melodia Palace
It’s definitely a stretch to call this is a castle, but while I was in Ruvo di Puglia I learned that a real Norman castle did stand here at one time. You can walk along the front facade of the castle and I’m pretty sure that it’s okay to go through the open arch into the atrium as well (it wasn’t closed so I poked my head in for a minute).
Domenico Cantatore Municipal Contemporary Art Museum
Apparently the #1 best thing to do in Ruvo di Puglia is to visit the Domenico Cantatore Municipal Art Gallery, also known as the Pinacoteca Cantatore. Domenico Cantatore was an important Italian artist who was born in Ruvo di Puglia, and this gallery showcases his works, along with works by his contemporaries.
However, I believe that at publication time (July 2024) the gallery is closed, as that is what is stated on both Google Maps and the Italian Ministry of Culture website. I forgot to go confirm for myself, but as the most recent Google review was from three years ago, I think this one will be on pause for a while.
Church of the Holy Redeemer
The Church of the Redeemer is attached to the castle (on the left in the photo above). This church is barely 100 years old and features a modern, colorful altar.
Piazza Monache
Much like Largo Cattedrale, I was really taken by this tranquil square in Ruvo di Puglia. There is a church on the square here that is dedicated to Saints Cosmas and Damian (Santi Medici) but it wasn’t open when I visited. Instead, I spent a few minutes noting the towering stairwells and ancient stone buildings here.
* If you need to refill your water bottle there is a fountain here.
Church of the Purgatory
I visited the Church of the Purgatory twice while I was in Ruvo di Puglia. The first time, around 9:30 am, the doors were closed. The second time was closer to 11:30 and I found the church doors open, so I was able to go inside. The interior of this seventeenth-century church is quite stark, but the decor isn’t the main attraction for tourists…
Grotta de San Cleto
… because underneath the Church of Purgatory there is an underground cave that once housed an ancient Roman bath, and now houses a mysterious stone statue of a saint. However, opening hours of the grotto seem to be completely random. For a minute or two I thought I’d convinced the caretaker to let me visit, but ultimately he told me to return “after 5:30 pm” or “tomorrow at 10:30” for a chance to be able to see it.
Book Museum / House of Culture
It’s free to enter the Book Museum inside Palazzo Caputti. Inside there are two rooms featuring very old books and information (in Italian) about the contents and the publication. There was also a folder with information in dozens of languages about the building and the book collection.
Statue of Talos
Do you remember about ten years ago, when a Spanish woman with no training in art tried to “restore” a painting of Jesus and the results were… infamous? Well I got the same vibes here, at this highly-controversial statue in Piazza Dante Aligheri. The statue supposedly shows Talos, a bronze automaton from Ancient Greek mythology, but the results are… interesting. Check it out for yourself and leave your opinion in the comments!
The Clock Tower
It is said that the 25-meter clock tower in Ruvo di Puglia is one of the oldest in the entire region of Puglia, dating back to 1604. It’s on a very cute piazza on the flip side of Piazza Monache.
Walls and Tower of Aragon
Just as Ruvo di Puglia once had a large castle, it also once had strong fortifying walls all around the historic center. Few of the walls remain today, but the best section can be found here, on Via Fornello, where both an Aragonese tower and section of wall remains (dating back to approximately the 1400s).
Church of San Domenico
You should be able to enter this church just beside the Jatta National Archeology Museum. It has a number of paintings that date back to the 1600s.
Church of San Rocco
I wasn’t able to enter the sixteenth-century Church of San Rocco but I thought its quaint facade on Piazza Giacomo Matteotti (near the castle) was very picturesque. Hopefully I’ve shown just how pretty Ruvo di Puglia is, and how nice it can be to stroll around the historic center even if you can’t always get inside every historic building!
Bonus Ruvo di Puglia Travel Tips
If you’re thinking of traveling from Bari to Ruvo di Puglia, I have a few bonus tips that should make your trip a little bit easier.
Ruvo di Puglia Tourist Information Office
There is a tourist information office in Ruvo di Puglia! I was surprised to find this little office at the end of Via Veneto (where it meets Piazza Bovio), and I think the staff were surprised to have a Canadian visitor too! They didn’t speak much English but they did have a good English map showcasing many of the city’s attractions, along with pamphlets for events and attractions in the city and the region. I’m so sorry but I forgot to take a photo of their hours – my guess is that they’re open weekday mornings (like most things in Ruvo di Puglia).
Restaurants in Ruvo di Puglia
Unfortunately, similar to Bitonto, restaurants in Rivo di Puglia seem to be open and closed at completely random times, on random days, that have no relation to what is posted on Google Maps. So, at 12:30 pm, I decided to take a train back to Bari for lunch instead of wandering in the heat looking for somewhere that might be open and would have vegetarian food that wasn’t pizza. However, I kept my eyes peeled and noticed a few places:
- Freestate – Right on the castle wall, there were people there having coffee and pastries when I arrived at 8:30. Their website also suggests they serve lunch and dinner.
- Zanzibar Pasticceria Francesco Cantatore – Looks like another solid option for coffee and pastries if you arrive in Ruvo di Puglia early.
- Cafè Cafe – Behind the Cathedral, they had a cute set-up with tables in the shade outside. Google shows that they probably serve light meals like sandwiches and salads.
- Mokambo Gelateria – It was closed when I was there but the reviews are insanely good. I believe they have a very small selection (maybe six flavors at a time?) of top-quality homemade gelato.
Hotels in Ruvo di Puglia
I only stayed in Ruvo di Puglia for half a day, so I didn’t need accommodation. However, if you’re looking for a charming small town to use as a home base near Bari, Ruvo di Puglia might be calling your name! Here are a few hotels in Ruvo di Puglia that you could consider:
- Casa Dolce – I’m a sucker for any accommodation that references sweets in its name! You’ll love having breakfast on the sunny rooftop terrace and then walking five minutes into town or driving to the nearby cities and towns of Puglia.
- B&B Arco Caputi – A freshly-renovated bed and breakfast in a historic building just across from the Church of Santa Medici
- Casa Terra Sole B&B – This bed and breakfast is a few kilometers outside Ruvo di Puglia, but with that comes ample green space and facilities for outdoor barbecues and picnics.
Is Ruvo di Puglia worth visiting?
Ruvo di Puglia is absolutely worth visiting if you’re in Bari and you have a free morning! I didn’t see any other tourists during my visit (locals seemed quite confused about why I was walking around taking so many photos) and it had an authentic, small-town feel that you don’t get in the big city. I wouldn’t drive all the way here from Rome or anything, but I definitely feel like my morning here was well spent!
You’ll probably like these other Puglia travel guides:
🗺️ One Week in Puglia: An Easy Itinerary by Train and Bus
⭐ The Best Things to Do in Matera, Italy
🌷 Things to Do in Bitonto, Italy
🏖️ The Most Beautiful Beaches in Monopoli, Italy
💎 The Best Things to Do in Alberobello
🍷 My Favorite Things to Do in Locorotondo, Italy
💫 The Best Things to Do in Lecce, Italy
Planning a trip to Bari, Italy? Pin this post for later!
 |
 |