The origin of the University of Bari dates back to 1581, when the "Collegio della Compagnia del Gesù" started the University degree in Philosophy and Human Sciences. At the beginning of the 18th Century the new "illuministic ideology" pushed forward the needs in the area of physical and natural sciences: as a consequence, curricula in Medicine, Law, Chimestry, and Botanics were activated in Altamura. In 1772 the Royal College moved the Universiy activitiy from Atamura to Bari, including the very outstanding curricula in Legislation and Agriculture. At the beginning of the 19th Century, New University Schools (Licei) were activated by G. Murat in the Apulia Region. Some of these Schools were closed in 1861/2, after the creation of the Italy Nation , other Schools were moved to Naples. At the same time, in order to continue the University activity, it was taken the decision to build the "Atheneum" in Bari. The construction started on March 14, 1868. The building was ready on December 28, 1889. The University of Bari was instituted in October 9, 1924, on the foundations of the ancient Graduate Schools of Pharmacy and Notaryship activated immediately after the Unification of Italy as substitutes of the former "Reale Liceo delle Puglie". In January 1925 the Faculty of Medicine was set up and included the pre-existing School for Midwives, and the School of Pharmacy was transformed into a Faculty.

　　巴里大学的起源可追溯至1581年，当时“耶稣会学院”开设了哲学与人文科学大学学位课程。18世纪初，新兴的“启蒙思想”推动了物理与自然科学领域的需求：由此，阿尔塔穆拉分校相继开设了医学、法学、化学及植物学课程。1772年，皇家学院将大学活动从阿尔塔穆拉迁至巴里，其中包括极具声望的立法学与农业学课程。19世纪初，乔治·穆拉特在普利亚大区创立了多所新大学预科学校(Licei)。1861/62年意大利统一后，部分学校关闭，其余则迁至那不勒斯。与此同时，为延续大学教育，当局决定在巴里建造“雅典娜神庙”。工程于1868年3月14日动工，1889年12月28日竣工。巴里大学于1924年10月9日正式成立，其根基可追溯至意大利统一后立即设立的古老研究生院——药学与公证学院，它们取代了原“普利亚皇家中学”的功能。1925年1月，医学院成立并纳入原有的助产学校，药学学院则升格为独立学院。

　　Successively, other faculties were instituted including the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Economy and Commerce (stemming from the School of Advanced Studies of Commerce founded in 1882) and Agriculture. Since 1944, the University was extended with the institution of the Faculties of Humanities and Philosophy, Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences, Engeneering, Education Sciences, Veterinary Medicine and Foreign Languages. With the four-year Plan 1986/90, the setting up of other University centers in Foggia and Taranto were foreseen. In fact, branches of the Faculties of Law, Economy and Commerce and Agriculture were instituted in Foggia. In particular, a Graduate Course in Food Preparation Sciences was included in the Sillabi of the Foggia Faculty of Agriculture, successively called Science and Alimentary Technology. In addition, in Taranto a Graduate Course on Environmental Sciences with a focus on Marine Environment was instituted as a decentralized branch of the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences of Bari. Morever, with the same four-year Plan the Faculty of Architecture was intituted and then transfered jointly at the Faculty of Engeneering into Polite-cnico.

　　随后陆续设立了其他学院，包括法学院、经济与商业学院(源于1882年创立的高级商业研究学院)以及农学院。自1944年起，随着人文与哲学学院、数学物理与自然科学学院、工程学院、教育科学学院、兽医学院及外国语学院的建立，大学规模不断扩展。1986/90年四年计划期间，预定在福贾和塔兰托设立大学分校。福贾校区由此设立法学院、经济与商业学院及农学院分支机构。其中农学院课程大纲特别增设食品加工科学研究生课程，后更名为食品科学与技术专业。此外，塔兰托设立了环境科学研究生课程(侧重海洋环境)，作为巴里大学数学、物理与自然科学学院的分支机构。同期的四年计划还创立了建筑学院，后与工程学院合并并入理工大学。