This dramatic seafront cathedral is dedicated to St Nicholas the Pilgrim, a Greek Christian who wandered through Puglia crying 'Kyrie eleison' ('Lord, have mercy'). First thought to be a simpleton, he was posthumously revered after several miracles attributed to him occurred. Below the church is the crypt, a forest of ancient columns that predates the current structure, and where the bones of St Nicholas are kept beneath the altar. You can also visit the campanile (bell tower).
Construction of the cathedral started in 1097 on the site of a Byzantine church and was completed in the 13th century. The magnificent original bronze doors (now displayed inside, with replicas standing in their original place) were cast by Barisano da Trani, an accomplished 12th-century artisan and local boy.
The interior of the cathedral reflects typical Norman simplicity and is lined by colonnades. Near the main altar are the remains of a 12th-century floor mosaic, stylistically similar to that in Otranto's cathedral.
