Italy Guide
Puglia
Cattedrale di San Sabino
Opening time: Mon– Sat 8.30am–12.30pm & 4–7.30pm, Sun 8am–12.30pm & 5–8.30pm
Price: free
Bari's other important church, the Cattedrale di San Sabino, off Piazza Odegitria, dedicated to the original patron saint of Bari, before he was usurped by Nicholas, and built at the end of the twelfth century. Come just for the contrast: uncluttered by arches, it retains its original medieval atmosphere and – unlike the basilica – a timbered roof. The cathedral houses an eighth-century icon known as the Madonna Odegitria, brought here for safety from Constantinople by Byzantine monks. It's said to be the most authentic likeness of the Madonna in existence, having been taken from an original sketch by Luke the Apostle, and it's paraded around the city at religious festivals.