Basilica of St. Nicholas, Bari, Italy

The sailors from Bari called it a rescue, though it began with a theft. In 1087, with Seljuk Turks controlling Asia Minor and Christian shrines at risk, sixty-two men travelled to Myra for Saint Nicholas's relics. Despite local monks' resistance, they broke into the tomb, gathered the bones, and sailed home, arriving May 9—still the Translation of the Relics feast. Within two years, Pope Urban II consecrated the crypt where they remain.

The basilica above became the prototype for Puglia's Romanesque architecture: white Apulian limestone, twin facade towers, and a surviving 1098 bishop's throne of Norman-era carving. Below, Saint Nicholas's bones still produce the mysterious liquid believers call myrrh or manna.

Documented since his first burial in Myra, the phenomenon has continued for nearly a millennium in Bari. Each December 6, Saint Nicholas Day, clergy lower a flask into the tomb and distribute the myrrh worldwide. During restoration in 1953, scientists found the incomplete skeleton in a shallow pool of clear liquid; no explanation has fully accounted for it.

Saint Nicholas of Myra lived in the 4th century—contemporary with the Council of Nicaea, which he reportedly attended. Stories accumulated around him: secret gifts to impoverished families, intervention to save unjustly condemned men, protection of sailors in storms, resurrection of murdered children. By medieval times, he was among Christianity's most venerated saints, patron of sailors, children, merchants, pawnbrokers, and numerous cities and nations.

His relics gained reputation for miraculous healing early. In Myra, the tomb reportedly exuded a sweet-smelling liquid from the time of his burial. This phenomenon did not cease when the bones were moved. In Bari, the 'manna' or 'myrrh' continues to accumulate. The 1953 examination, led by anatomist Luigi Martino, found the skeleton in a shallow pool of this liquid. The relics matched tradition: an elderly man in his seventies, slight of build. When reinterred in 1957, the phenomenon continued. Each December 6, a small amount is extracted and distributed to pilgrims.

What makes this liquid? Science has not definitively answered. It is not body fluids; the bones have been dry for over sixteen centuries. Condensation has been suggested, but the phenomenon seems disproportionate. Believers attribute it to miraculous intervention. Skeptics seek natural explanations. The liquid continues regardless.

The ecumenical character of the basilica adds another dimension of thinness. Saint Nicholas is beloved across Christian divisions—Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant (the Santa Claus figure). Since 1966, an Orthodox chapel in the crypt allows Eastern liturgies alongside Western. Russian, Greek, and other Orthodox pilgrims have increased dramatically since the Iron Curtain fell. The May 9/22 feast of the Translation of the Relics is particularly important in Russian Orthodoxy.

The journey from Bishop Nicholas to Santa Claus is itself a kind of translation. The saint's reputation for secret gift-giving—especially the story of providing dowries so three poor girls would not have to be sold—made him patron of children and the inspiration for Christmas generosity. Dutch 'Sinterklaas' crossed the Atlantic and became 'Santa Claus.' The historical bishop, ascetic and wonder-working, lies beneath the basilica while his legend circles the globe every December.

Built 1087-1197 to house the relics of Saint Nicholas of Myra, brought by Barian sailors. Consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1089. Created to establish Bari as a major pilgrimage center.

Construction 1087-1197. Council of Bari 1098. Continued development through medieval period. 1953-1957 restoration included scientific examination of relics. 1966 Orthodox chapel established in crypt. Post-1989 dramatic increase in Eastern European pilgrimages.

The approach through Bari's old town—narrow streets, white buildings, glimpses of sea—opens onto a square dominated by the basilica's twin towers and Romanesque facade. This is Apulian architecture at its finest: white limestone that glows warm in the southern Italian light, severe Norman lines softened by sculptural detail, an assertion of sacred presence in an ancient city.

Entering the main nave, visitors encounter a space built for pilgrimage. The proportions are monumental but human-scaled. Light enters through clerestory windows. The apse contains treasures: the 1098 bishop's throne, probably made for the council held that year; the monument to Bona Sforza, Queen of Poland and Duchess of Bari. But the pilgrimage destination lies below.

Stairs on either side descend to the crypt—the oldest and holiest part of the complex, consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1089. Here the relics of Saint Nicholas rest beneath the altar. The ceiling is low; the atmosphere is concentrated. Pilgrims approach the tomb, kneel, pray, light candles. Orthodox visitors may find services in progress at the chapel established in 1966—Russian, Greek, or other Eastern liturgies echoing in the Romanesque vault.

The presence of both Catholic and Orthodox worship in one space is remarkable. The saint who lies here transcends the divisions that split Christianity; both traditions venerate him equally. Pilgrims from Rome and Moscow, from Athens and Warsaw, stand before the same relics. The myrrh that reportedly exudes from the tomb is distributed worldwide. On December 6, Saint Nicholas Day, the extraction ceremony draws crowds; on May 9, the Orthodox celebrate the Translation of the Relics.

Above ground, the basilica museum displays treasures associated with Saint Nicholas and the pilgrimage tradition. The old town surrounding the basilica offers opportunities to explore medieval Bari.

The Basilica of Saint Nicholas stands in Bari's old town (Centro Storico), overlooking a square near the Adriatic Sea. The cathedral (San Sabino) lies about 200 meters away. The old town is largely pedestrian, enclosed by the later city.

In 1087, the relics of Saint Nicholas lay in Myra (modern Turkey), now under Seljuk Turkish control. Christian pilgrimage routes were disrupted; shrines were at risk. Sixty-two sailors from Bari launched an expedition to rescue the saint's bones. They arrived in Myra, overcame resistance from local monks guarding the shrine, broke into the tomb, gathered the relics, and sailed home. They arrived in Bari on May 9, 1087—a date still celebrated as the Feast of the Translation. Pope Urban II traveled to Bari in 1089 to personally consecrate the crypt and lay the relics beneath the altar. The basilica above was completed by 1197 and became the mother church of Apulian Romanesque architecture.

The Basilica of Saint Nicholas is a papal minor basilica administered by Dominican friars. It serves as both Catholic parish and ecumenical pilgrimage site. The Orthodox chapel in the crypt was established in 1966 to accommodate Eastern Christian devotion.

Veneration of relics since 1089. Annual myrrh extraction on Saint Nicholas Day. May 9 celebration of the Translation. Medieval pilgrimage from across Europe.

Daily Catholic Mass. Orthodox liturgies in crypt chapel (Greek, Russian, etc.). Pilgrimage visits to crypt and relics. December 6 celebrations. May 9 Translation feast. Distribution of myrrh worldwide.

Visit the main basilica first to appreciate the Romanesque architecture and bishop's throne. Descend to the crypt to venerate at Saint Nicholas's tomb. If Orthodox services are in progress, observe respectfully. Light a candle. Consider visiting on December 6 or May 9 for special celebrations.

The Basilica of Saint Nicholas holds the relics of one of Christianity's most beloved saints—the charitable bishop who became Santa Claus, whose bones continue to produce mysterious liquid after nearly a millennium.

Continue through the atlas by country, tradition, physical form, or a focused search that combines this place’s strongest context.

Sacred places within a half-day’s reach. Pilgrims often visit them together: walk one, stay for the other.

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Sources consulted when researching this page. Independent verification by readers is welcome.

1. 01Relics ::: St. Nicholas Center — St. Nicholas Centerhigh-reliability
2. 02Do the Relics of Saint Nicholas Really Emit a Holy Substance? — Britannicahigh-reliability
3. 03Translation of the relics of Saint Nicholas — Orthodox Church in Americahigh-reliability
4. 04Basilica of Saint Nicholas, Bari - Wikipedia — Wikipedia contributors
5. 05Basilica di San Nicola | Bari, Puglia — Lonely Planet