Description of the attraction
The Cathedral of Bari, named after San Sabino, is the main Roman Catholic church in the Apulian city of Bari, although less famous than the Basilica of St. Nicholas, which houses the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Savin, the bishop of Canosa, whose remains were brought here in the 9th century.
The current building of San Sabino was built between the late 12th and late 13th centuries, mostly in the last 30 years of the 12th century. It stands on the ruins of the cathedral of the Byzantine Empire, destroyed in 1156 by the Sicilian king William I the Wicked, along with the entire city of Bari. And today, to the right of the transept, you can see traces of that Byzantine paved floor. An inscription with the name of Bishop Andrea (758-761) has been preserved on one of the fragments of an antique mosaic.
At the end of the 12th century, Archbishop Rainaldo initiated the reconstruction of the cathedral using materials from the destroyed building. In those years, the surviving Basilica of St. Nicholas served as the bishop's chair. But already in 1292 the new cathedral was consecrated and regained its significance. In the 18th century, the façade, central nave and side chapels, Trulla (an old 12th century baptistery, now a sacristy) and crypt were redesigned in the Baroque style by order of Archbishop Muzio Gaeta. In subsequent years, the cathedral also underwent a number of minor reconstructions and renovations. The original Romanesque look was only returned to the cathedral in the 1950s.
Stylistically, San Sabino is an important example of architecture in the Apulian-Romanesque style. The simple facade with three portals from the 11th century is decorated with a circular rosette window, above which is a lintel with carved images of mythical monsters. The bell tower was built relatively recently, from a stone similar to that used in the construction of the cathedral. Its dome has a distinct Arabic motif.
Inside, the cathedral is divided into three aisles - they are separated from each other by 16 columns with arcades. Once shining with lush baroque decoration, now this church has a very austere look and stands out, perhaps, only for its empores - structures in the form of tribunes. The crypt contains the remains of Saint Savin, Bishop of Canosa. They were brought to Bari in 844 by Saint Angelarius, who saved the relic from Canosa destroyed by the Saracens. Here you can also see the icon of Madonna Hodegetria: according to legend, it was brought from the East in the 8th century. In two small apses there are two sarcophagi, one of which contains the relics of St. Columba.
Next to the Cathedral of San Sabino stands the Palazzo Curia, which now houses the Museum of the Diocese of Bari. It exhibits a valuable Byzantine manuscript with excellent illustrations - "Exsultet".
Description added:
Vladislav 2014-02-04
The relics of Saint Colomba (Dove) - a girl buried alive for her Christian beliefs.
