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.