San Sabino, the bishop of Canosa who lived to 105 years of age between the 5th and 6th century, was the first patron saint of Bari, until in 1807 Saint Nicholas, or rather his corpse, came to Bari onboard a ship from Myra (once a Greek town in modern day Turkey), and stole Sabino’s role as patron saint.
There was no fighting nor wars between the two saints, but it occurred more than once that religious leaders and other rulers tried to make one between Sabino or Nicola prevail.
The discussion lasted until 1793: a decree proclaimed that both saints had the right to be the patrons of the town, and the entrance of the cathedral of San Sabino – with the statues of the two saints, one beside the other – seemed to show it. Not long after though, even the Church had to succumb to the choice made by the people of Bari, much before the decree, when a new basilica was built to conserve the spoils of the foreign saint.
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