# Festa di San Nicola, Bari: the three days

> Bari marks the arrival of the relics on May 9, 1087 with a sea procession and the drawing of the manna from the tomb, in a basilica that is free to enter.

URL: https://myitalia.it/events/festa-di-san-nicola
Last updated: 2026-09-02

Bari's patronal feast turns on May 9, the day in 1087 when 62 sailors and merchants landed with the relics of Saint Nicholas, and it ends with the drawing of the manna from the tomb in the crypt that evening.

## Three days, and what happens on each

The 2026 calendar ran from April 20 to May 22, with the core on May 7 to 9. On the 7th the historic procession leaves Piazza Federico II di Svevia at 8:30 pm and reaches Piazza San Nicola at 10:30 pm.

On the 8th the statue is carried out from the Molo San Nicola at 6:45 am, the sea is blessed at 10:00 am, and the Frecce Tricolori fly over the waterfront. On the 9th a concelebrated mass at 6:00 pm ends with the drawing of the manna.

## The manna, and what it actually is

The manna is the liquid that gathers in the tomb of the saint under the crypt's main altar, and it is drawn once a year, on the evening of May 9, in a quantity of about half a liter. An analysis in 1925 described water of particular purity, and the argument between a miraculous and a natural explanation has never been settled.

What is handed to the faithful is not tomb liquid. The small bottles contain blessed water into which the manna drawn on May 9 has been poured, which is worth knowing before you queue for one.

## 1087, and why the date is fixed

The relics arrived from Myra, in Lycia, on May 9, 1087, carried on three ships by 62 sailors and merchants from Bari. Construction of the basilica began on July 8, 1089, and Pope Urban II laid the relics under the crypt altar on October 1 of that year.

The crypt is the oldest finished part of the building, roughly 30.69 by 14.81 m, with cross vaults on 26 columns of different marbles. A Dominican community has held the basilica since 1951.

## Getting in, and getting there

Entry to the basilica and the crypt is free, with opening hours of 6:30 am to 8:30 pm Monday to Saturday and 6:30 am to 10:00 pm on Sunday. A ramp and a lift reach the crypt, which matters on a feast day when the stairs are full.

From the airport the Ferrotramviaria train reaches Bari Centrale in 17 minutes, from a station inside the terminal linked to arrivals by a 300 m tunnel. More on the building itself is on the [Basilica di San Nicola page](/attractions/basilica-san-nicola), and on the liquid in [the manna of San Nicola](/stories/the-manna-of-san-nicola).

## FAQ

### When is the Festa di San Nicola in Bari?

The core is May 7 to 9 every year, inside a longer calendar that in 2026 ran from April 20 to May 22. The historic procession falls on the 7th, the sea procession on the 8th, and the drawing of the manna on the 9th, the anniversary of the relics' arrival.

### What is the manna of San Nicola?

A liquid that collects in the saint's tomb in the crypt of the Bari basilica, drawn once a year on the evening of May 9, about half a liter at a time. It was analyzed in 1925 and found to be water of unusual purity; its origin is still argued over.

### Can I get into the basilica during the festival?

Yes, and free of charge. The Basilica di San Nicola opens 6:30 am to 8:30 pm Monday to Saturday and 6:30 am to 10:00 pm on Sunday, with free access to the church and the crypt. The crowds concentrate on the processions rather than inside the building.

### Why does Bari have the relics of Saint Nicholas?

Because 62 sailors and merchants from Bari took them from Myra in Lycia and landed with them on May 9, 1087. Pope Urban II placed them under the crypt altar on October 1, 1089, in a basilica whose construction had started the previous year.

### How do I reach the basilica from Bari airport?

The Ferrotramviaria train from Bari Palese Karol Wojtyla takes 17 minutes to Bari Centrale, with the station inside the airport, joined to arrivals by a 300 m tunnel. The old town and the basilica are then a walk from the central station.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| La festa patronale di San Nicola a Bari nel 2026 ha il suo nucleo nel 7-9 maggio (corteo storico il 7, processione a mare l'8, rito del prelievo della Santa Manna il 9), dentro un calendario che va dal 20 aprile al 22 maggio 2026. | [Pontificia Basilica di San Nicola - Bari](https://www.basilicasannicola.it/info/951/sagra-di-san-nicola-2026) | medium | 2027-03-31 |
| Le reliquie di San Nicola arrivarono a Bari da Myra il 9 maggio 1087, portate da 62 tra marinai e mercanti baresi; papa Urbano II le depose sotto l'altare della cripta il 1° ottobre 1089. | [Pontificia Basilica di San Nicola - Bari](https://www.basilicasannicola.it/sez/1/28/traslazione-delle-reliquie); [doc 2](https://www.basilicasannicola.it/sez/2/95/la-cripta) | medium | 2099-12-31 |
| La 'manna di San Nicola' e' il liquido che si raccoglie nella tomba del santo nella cripta della basilica di Bari e viene prelevata la sera del 9 maggio di ogni anno, in media mezzo litro. | [Pontificia Basilica di San Nicola - Bari](https://www.basilicasannicola.it/sez/1/37/la-manna-di-san-nicola) | medium | 2099-12-31 |
| La Basilica di San Nicola a Bari e' aperta dal lunedi al sabato 6:30-20:30 e la domenica 6:30-22:00 (2026); l'accesso alla basilica e alla cripta e' libero. | [Pontificia Basilica di San Nicola - Bari](https://www.basilicasannicola.it/sez/9/232/orari); [doc 2](https://www.basilicasannicola.it/sez/453/pellegrini) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| La cripta della Basilica di San Nicola a Bari misura circa 30,69 x 14,81 metri ed e' coperta da volte a crociera sostenute da 26 colonne di marmi diversi; sotto l'altare maggiore si trova la tomba del santo. | [Pontificia Basilica di San Nicola - Bari](https://www.basilicasannicola.it/sez/2/95/la-cripta) | medium | 2099-12-31 |
| L'aeroporto di Bari-Palese 'Karol Wojtyla' e' collegato a Bari Centrale da un treno Ferrotramviaria che impiega circa 17 minuti; la fermata e' dentro lo scalo, unita all'area arrivi da un tunnel di 300 metri, ed e' attiva dal 2013. | [Ferrotramviaria S.p.A.](https://www.ferrotramviaria.it/web/guest/da-aeroporto) | medium | 2027-06-30 |

## Image

https://media.myitalia.it/media/city.bari.v2.1600.jpg
Author: Evelyn Hill from Rome, Italy. License: CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0).
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bari_Vecchia_(40106893452).jpg

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