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Similar to many cities I visited on this journey, there was a drastic difference between the bustling modern Bari and the old quarters in the walled La cittá vecchia di Bari. The labyrinthine-like layout creates an area where there is a surprise around every corner and is quite easily to get happily lost. It appeared that Bari was just beginning a festival involving the memory of Nicola Il Santo Delle Genti, who holds an assortment of aliases, including but not limited to "Nicholas the People's Saint," "Nicholas Archbishop of Myra," and "Saint Nick." Yes, that Saint Nick. Vol. III of "The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints" by the Rev. Alban Butler discusses how this celebration on May 9th came about:
Certain merchants of Bari, a seaport in the kingdom of Naples situated on the Adriatic Gulf, sailed in three ships to the coast of Lycia; and watching an opportunity when no Mohammedans were near the place, went to the church in which the relics of St. Nicholas were kept, which stood in a desert place three miles from the sea, and was guarded by a small community of monks. They broke open the marble coffin in which the sacred bones lay, and carried them off to their ships; the inhabitants, upon the alarm given, pursued them to the shore with horrible outcries, but the Europeans were got safe on board. They landed at Bari on the 9th of May 1087, and the sacred treasure was deposited by the archbishop in the Church of St. Stephen. On the first day, thirty persons were cured of various distempers, imploring the intercession of St. Nicholas, and from that time the tomb of St. Nicholas of Bari has been famous for pilgrimages. The authentic history of this translation, written by John, at that time archdeacon of Bari, by order of the archbishop, is extant in Surius. Hmmmm... So they're celebrating an ancient theft of relics which made Bari a pilgrimage site? Interesting.
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