San Nicola

church, Bari, Italy

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July 13, 2026

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The Basilica of San Nicola in Bari, Italy, is a significant church primarily known for housing the relics of Saint Nicholas. These relics are believed to emit a substance called "manna," a liquid collected annually on May 9th, the Feast of the Translation. While once thought to be miraculous oil, scientific analysis in 1925 revealed it to be water, likely condensation from the tomb's underground location.1

The basilica itself was founded in 1087 to receive Saint Nicholas's remains, which were transferred from Myra (modern-day Turkey) by Italian sailors. This act significantly boosted Bari's global prominence. The basilica is a notable example of Romanesque architecture, with its construction dating back to the 12th century. In Roman Catholic tradition, a basilica is a church granted special honor by the Pope due to its historical significance or association with a major saint.123

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Bari
…extended; and the Basilica of San Nicola, founded in 1087 to house the relics of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of Bari. The seat of an archbishop and of a university (founded 1924), the city has a provincial picture gallery and archaeological museum. The annual Fiera del Levante, an Occidental-Oriental…
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…extended; and the Basilica of San Nicola, founded in 1087 to house the relics of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of Bari. The seat of an archbishop and of a university (founded 1924), the city has a provincial picture gallery and archaeological museum. The annual Fiera del Levante, an Occidental-Oriental…
Read More

St. Nicholas
Relics and devotion
…in the 11th-century basilica of San Nicola at Bari, though fragments have been acquired by churches around the world. In 2017 researchers dated one such relic fragment, a piece of hip bone, from a church in the United States and confirmed it to be from the 4th century.
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…in the 11th-century basilica of San Nicola at Bari, though fragments have been acquired by churches around the world. In 2017 researchers dated one such relic fragment, a piece of hip bone, from a church in the United States and confirmed it to be from the 4th century.
Read More