Cattedrale di San Sabino (Bari Cathedral), Bari

Cattedrale di San Sabino (Bari Cathedral), Bari (must see)

King of Sicily, William I, also known as Il Malo ("the Wicked"), destroyed the Byzantine cathedral in the sack of Bari in 1156. There had been a church on the site since the 6th century. Churches and public buildings were razed. The Basilica of San Nicola was the last one standing.

The Bari Cathedral, consecrated in 1292, is a fine example of Apulia Romanesque, very like the Basilica of San Nicola. The plain facade is in three parts, set off by two pilasters. Each part has a portal. The main portal is in the center, below a large rose window. Over the window is a lintel with carvings of fantasy creatures.

The rebuilt bell tower is made of stone, the same as the original. It has an ornate lantern tower over the Moorish-style dome of the cupola. Inside there are three aisles and 16 columns, and arcades. The transept is pure Apulian Romanesque, as is the false women's gallery and the rebuilt pulpit.

The crypt holds some relics of Saint Sabinus that were brought to Bari in 844. The smaller apse holds two sarcophagi, one for the relics of Saint Columba and the other for other sacred artifacts. The Palace of the Curia, adjacent to the cathedral, is home to the Diocesan Museum.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Bari. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Cattedrale di San Sabino (Bari Cathedral) on Map

Sight Name: Cattedrale di San Sabino (Bari Cathedral)
Sight Location: Bari, Italy (See walking tours in Bari)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Bari, Italy

Create Your Own Walk in Bari

Create Your Own Walk in Bari

Creating your own self-guided walk in Bari is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Bari's Historical Buildings Walking Tour

Bari's Historical Buildings Walking Tour

One of the dicta usually attributed to an 18th-century German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is that "Architecture is the frozen music." To this, one can only add that it's the music of time, especially when it comes to places like Bari, where the intricate details and craftsmanship of historic buildings are a testament to the human ambition to leave a lasting impression and the...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Bari Introduction Walking Tour

Bari Introduction Walking Tour

In the 3rd century BC, the Lapygian coastal city of "Barion" was colonized by Rome. Now called "Bari," it is located on the upper heel of the Italian boot in the region of Apulia. Bari has been referred to as the "California of the South of Italy."

The city is divided into sections called "quarters." The Old City Quarter is located on a peninsula in the...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles