#the basilica of saint nicholas

[postcard-from-the-past]

Medieval bull sculpture by the main door of the Basilica of Saint Nicholas in the Old Town of Bari, Puglia region of Italy

Italian vintage postcard

[howamidrivinginlimbo]

Basilica di San Nicola, Bari

[gunhilde]

Norman carvings from the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, Bari

[davidstanleytravel]

The Basilica San Nicola (1087-1197) in Bari, Italy, contains relics of Saint Nicholas brought here from Turkey in 1087.

[tinyshe]

Two drops of the precious blood collected by St. Louis, and displayed in a reliquary in the Basilica of the Precious Blood of Neuvy-Saint-Sepulchre. 

More Saints of the Day July 15

St. Abudimus 

Bl. Alphonsus de Vaena 

St. Andrew Nam-Thuong

 Bl. Anne Jahouvey 

Bl. Anthony Francisco 

St. Apronia 

St. Athanasius 

St. Baldwin 

St. Benedict 

St. Catulinus 

St. David of Sweden 

St. Donald of Ogilvy 

St. Edith of Polesworth 

St. Egino 

St. Esternus 

St. Eutropius 

St. Jacob of Nisibis 

Bl. James Andrade 

Bl. Joanninus de San Juan

 Bl. John Fernandez 

Bl. Mark Caldeira

 Bl. Nicholas Dinnis 

Bl. Peter Berna 

St. Peter Tuan 

St. Philip 

St. Plechelm 

St. Pompeius Maria Pirotti 

St. Secundinus, Agrippinus, Maximus, Fortunatus, & Martialis 

St. Seduinus 

St. Swithun 

St. Vladimir

[amateurmonastic]

The historical Saint Nicholas—and there is one—was a fourth-century Bishop of Myra, now in modern Turkey, who died in approximately 350. His remains are in the Basilica di San Nicola in Bari, Italy. He is the subject of numerous legends, which emphasize his kindness and generosity and his capacity to produce miracles. These include resurrecting dead boys slaughtered during a famine by a butcher who intended to sell their flesh as pickled pork, and providing bags of gold to young girls so impoverished they were considering prostitution. Illes, Judika. Daily Magic: Spells and Rituals for Making the Whole Year Magical (Witchcraft & Spells) (p. 502). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

[rabbitcruiser]

St. Nicholas Day

St. Nicholas Day celebrates St. Nicholas, a popular minor Christian  saint in Western and Eastern churches. In the fourth century, he was a  bishop in Myra, a Greek town in the ancient district of Lycia, in Asia Minor, near present-day Demre,  Turkey. The story of much of his life is not based on historical  evidence, but on traditional stories and legends. It is believed that he  was born in Patara,  a seaport in Lycia, and that he traveled to Palestine and Egypt before  coming to Myra. He was imprisoned for his beliefs by Roman Emperor  Diocletian but was freed by Constantine the Great. He is believed to  have been at the first council of Nicaea,  and there are many legends that say he performed miracles for the poor.  He was known for giving gifts and putting coins in people's shoes, and  this influenced the way he is celebrated, as well as how other  traditions during the Christmas season are celebrated.

St. Nicholas was buried in his church in Myra, and over the next few  centuries, pilgrims began coming to his shrine. In 1087, his remains  were stolen and taken to Bari, Italy. This increased his popularity in  Europe, and Bari became a popular pilgrimage site. Most of his remains  are still at the Basilica of San Nicola in Bari. His popularity  continued to rise during the Middle Ages, but disappeared in most places  except the Netherlands during the Reformation. His popularity has come back in Europe, and he has since become the patron saint of many places and people.

St. Nicholas Day is popular in Europe, particularly with children,  because of the belief that St. Nicholas brings them gifts. Before the  day, many European children place shoes or special St. Nicholas boots in  front of fireplaces or outside of their front door at night. On the  morning of the day, they receive small presents, such as candy, cookies,  fruit, and small toys. Besides shoes or boots, presents are also placed  in stockings, socks, or bags. In some countries, gifts are given on the  eve of the day. In some European cities, especially those where he is  the patron saint, the day is also marked with parades, feasts, and  festivals. Some churches also have special services dedicated to the  day.

Some in America also celebrate St. Nicholas Day. In the seventeenth  century, the Dutch brought the tradition to New Amsterdam, which is now  New York City. St. Nicholas had been called Sinterklaas in the  Netherlands, and when he was brought to America he eventually became  known as Santa Claus. During the nineteenth century, the Santa Claus we  think of today came into his own. Similar to Sinterklaas in the  Netherlands, Father Christmas of Britain is inspired by St. Nicholas.  Another character, Krampus, is seen as being the evil companion of St. Nicholas.

How to Observe St. Nicholas Day

Children  could celebrate by putting their shoes or boots in front of a fireplace  or outside of their front door the night before the day. Stockings or  socks could also be used. Parents could fill the shoes with small toys,  candy, and other treats. Although the day is most celebrated by children  and their parents, anyone can participate. You could even drop coins  into people's shoes just as St. Nicholas did. Some cities have parades,  feasts, and festivals which you could attend today. You could also plan a  trip to the Basilica of San Nicola in Bari, where the remains of St. Nicholas are held.

Source

[sunthatiam]

Rose Window, Basilica of Saint Nicholas, Amsterdam

[brother-joseph]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Saint Nicholas of Tolentino DVD, by Bob and Penny Lord, New.

[kappavision]

This hilltop church with a handsome portico was once surrounded by a unique line of defence that was significantly involved in the uprising of the Maltese against the French during the 1798-1800 blockade. View a set of five photos by Kappa Vision below 👇 THE TAS-SAMRA CHURCH Built in 1630 in the area covered by the parish of St. Gaetan in the #Maltese town of Ħamrun, this historic church is dedicated to Our Lady of Atocia (aka Atocha or Attocia). It is however popularly known today as tal-Madonna tas-Samra (the Dark Madonna). The church was recently raised to the grade of Sanctuary. The icon on the High Altar of the church reflects the image of Our Lady of Atocia, venerated at the Basilica of Atocia in Madrid, Spain. A VERY OLD, HILLTOP AREA OF ĦAMRUN The church was built on a hilltop on the site of an earlier church dedicated to Saint Nicholas, which gave its name to the Torre San Nicola nearby. The church lies at the heart of the earliest known urban core of Ħamrun, which flourished with the arrival of the abundant supply of fresh water secured by the aqueduct. During the Maltese uprising against the French (1798-1800), one of the insurgents improvised gun batteries that were placed on this hilltop. NOTABLE BUILDINGS AROUND THE CHURCH There were also several other villas and gardens, on a more modest scale, around the church (see diagram). Unfortunately these have been largely lost as a result of urbanisation since the late 19th century. Some examples still appear on the early 20th century survey sheets, such as the villa and formal garden that stood in front of the church of Our Lady of Atocha. The garden was replaced by housing before the Second World War, but part of the main villa block is intact. NEGLECTED IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY The church was abandoned for some time in the early 20th century. A WWII SHELTER Next to this church there is also a World War Two shelter which has been recently cleaned up. Full article on Kappa Vision on Facebook (at Ħamrun) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpEf4ajIwaF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mamunj27]

Valentine's Day History

Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine. Through later folk traditions, it has become a significant cultural and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.

There are a number of martyrdom stories associated with various Saint Valentines connected to February 14, including an account of the imprisonment of Saint Valentine of Rome for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire in the third century. According to an early tradition, Saint Valentine restored sight to the blind daughter of his jailer. Numerous later additions to the legend have better related it to the theme of love: an 18th-century embellishment to the legend claims he wrote the jailer's daughter a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell before his execution another tradition posits that Saint Valentine performed weddings for Christian soldiers who were forbidden to marry.

The 8th-century Gelasian Sacramentary recorded the celebration of the Feast of Saint Valentine on February 14.The day became associated with romantic love in the 14th and 15th centuries when notions of courtly love flourished, apparently by association with the "lovebirds" of early spring. In 18th-century England, it grew into an occasion for couples to express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. In the 19th century, handmade cards gave way to mass-produced greetings. In Italy, Saint Valentine's keys are given to lovers "as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver's heart", as well as to children to ward off epilepsy (called Saint Valentine's Malady).

Saint Valentine's Day is not a public holiday in any country, although it is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion[13] and the Lutheran Church. Many parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrate Saint Valentine's Day on July 6 in honor of Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and on July 30 in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni).

Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine.[16] The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae). Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who was martyred in 269 and was added to the calendar of saints by Pope Gelasius I in 496 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. The relics of St. Valentine were kept in the Church and Catacombs of San Valentino in Rome, which "remained an important pilgrim site throughout the Middle Ages until the relics of St. Valentine were transferred to the church of Santa Prassede during the pontificate of Nicholas IV [1288 - 1292]".[18][19] The flower-crowned skull of Saint Valentine is exhibited in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome. Other relics are found at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland.[20]

Valentine of Terni became bishop of Interamna (now Terni, in central Italy) and is said to have been martyred during the persecution under Emperor Aurelian in 273. He is buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location from Valentine of Rome. His relics are at the Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni (Basilica di San Valentino). Professor Jack B. Oruch of the University of Kansas notes that "abstracts of the acts of the two saints were in nearly every church and monastery of Europe." A relic claimed to be Saint Valentine of Terni's head was preserved in the abbey of New Minster, Winchester, and venerated.

The Catholic Encyclopedia speaks of a third saint named Valentine who was mentioned in early martyrologies under date of February 14. He was martyred in Africa with a number of companions, but nothing more is known about him.

February 14 is celebrated as St. Valentine's Day in various Christian denominations; it has, for example, the rank of 'commemoration' in the calendar of saints in the Anglican Communion. The feast day of Saint Valentine is given in the calendar of saints of the Lutheran Church. In the 1969 revision of the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints, the feast day of Saint Valentine on February 14 was relegated from the General Roman Calendar to particular (local or even national) calendars for the following reason: "Though the memorial of Saint Valentine is ancient, it is left to particular calendars, since, apart from his name, nothing is known of Saint Valentine except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14. Therefore, as he remains within the Roman Martyrology, he may recognised optionally during mass outside of Christmastide and Eastertide.

The feast day is still celebrated in Balzan (Malta) where relics of the saint are claimed to be found, and also throughout the world by Traditionalist Catholics who follow the older, pre-Second Vatican Council calendar (see General Roman Calendar of 1960).

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, St. Valentine is recognized on July 6, in which Saint Valentine, the Roman presbyter, is honoured; in addition, the Eastern Orthodox Church observes the feast of Hieromartyr Valentine, Bishop of Interamna, on July 30.[26][27][28]

[judyconda]

#FolkloreThursday: St Valentine - PART I Saint Valentine (Italian: San Valentino; Latin: Valentinus) was a 3rd-century Roman saint, commemorated in Western Christianity on February 14 and in Eastern Orthodoxy on July 6. From the High Middle Ages, his Saints' Day has been associated with a tradition of courtly love. He is also a patron saint of Terni, epilepsy and beekeepers. Saint Valentine was a clergyman – either a priest or a bishop – in the Roman Empire who ministered to persecuted Christians. He was martyred and his body buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14, which has been observed as the Feast of Saint Valentine (Saint Valentine's Day) since at least the eighth century. Relics of him were kept in the Church and Catacombs of San Valentino in Rome, which "remained an important pilgrim site throughout the Middle Ages until the relics of St. Valentine were transferred to the church of Santa Prassede during the pontificate of Nicholas IV". His skull, crowned with flowers, is exhibited in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome. Other relics of him are in Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church, Dublin, Ireland, a popular place of pilgrimage, especially on Saint Valentine's Day, for those seeking love. At least two different Saint Valentines are mentioned in the early martyrologies. For Saint Valentine of Rome, along with Saint Valentine of Terni, "abstracts of the acts of the two saints were in nearly every church and monastery of Europe", according to Professor Jack B. Oruch of the University of Kansas. Saint Valentine of Rome was martyred on February 14 in AD 269. The Feast of Saint Valentine, also known as Saint Valentine's Day, was established by Pope Gelasius I in AD 496 to be celebrated on February 14 in honour of the Christian martyr. #mystique #spiritique #valentines #ValentinesDay #Valentinesweek #HappyValentinesday #ValentinesSeason #valentinesszn #lovers #happyloversday #loversday #loversseason #loversszn #mindfulness #Spiritual #Spirituality #mystical #mystic #mysticisim #StValentine #Galentinesday #galentines #StValentinesDay #sacredhearts #sacredheart #folklorethursday #folklore #folkloreflash #catholiques https://www.instagram.com/p/CouOAuKyqpN/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[ramtinsnaps]

📍Basilica of Saint Nicholas Church , Amsterdam, Netherlands September 2022 #amsterdam🇳🇱 #amsterdam #photography #travelling_europe #travelphotography #church #basilicasaintnicholas #netherlands #eurotrip2022 #hollanda #visithollanda #photojourney https://www.instagram.com/p/CnAIpYGJPxy/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[studentessamatta]

Babbo Natale is what the Italians call Santa Claus. Babbo Natale è quello che gli italiani chiamano "Santa Claus." "Babbo" comes from the Tuscan dialect and means "daddy." Babbo Natale is Italy's answer to the man in the red suit. Did you know the original Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of Bari and is said to be buried there in the Basilica San Nicola. It's also claimed the relics residing with him have supernatural healing powers. #LearnItalian #StudentessaMatta #BabboNatale #SaintNicholas #SaintBari https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl7rfyiuIB2/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[urbanhermit]

My favorite feast day as a child, & as an adult the day I celebrated with friends in my home. The day of pineapples, nuts, clementines, coconuts, hard candy, and chocolate. No shoes, we put out wooden salad bowls. My fellow pre-novices called it St Mickalos Day. My neighbors in Brooklyn were Italians who arrived from Bari after WW II. The holy relics of St. Nicholas are lying in the crypt (underground level) of the Basilica of St. Nicholas in the city of Bari, Italy located on the shore of the Adriatic Sea. Although this Basilica belongs to the Roman Catholic church & is managed by the monks of the Dominican Order, priests of different Christian confessions are allowed to offer services in the crypt. In 1071 the city of Bari, an important trading port & capital of Byzantine Italy, was conquered by the Normans & lost its economical & political role. The people of Bari decided to go to Myra of Lycia in Asia Minor (presently a territory of the province of Antalya, Turkey) to retrieve the relics of St. Nicholas. They hoped that the holy relics of the most venerable saint in Byzantine would help to restore the authority & popularity of the city. In addition, St. Nicholas always was the patron of sailors & merchants. Many Italian historical sources explain that the main reason for this act was to protect the relics from the Turks who were controlling this part of Asia Minor at that time. It’s also known that Venice & Bari were competing to be the first to own the relics of St. Nicholas. In 1087, 62 sailors from Bari headed to Myra. Disguised as pilgrims, they hid their swords & knives under their clothes, approached the tomb, opened it, & took out the relics which exuded myrrh. Despite the resistance of the monks who were guarding the tomb, the sailors were able to transfer the stolen relics to the ship. In May 1087 the ship reached the shores of the city of Bari which initially planned to place the relics in the city's cathedral but later decided to build a special chapel. Construction of the chapel started in June 1087. In 1089 the crypt of the basilica was built & the relics were placed in a new tomb where they lay at the present time. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl0h128OKJG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[florilegiodelgrottesco]

Church of Saint Nicholas (Russian Orthodox)

Basilica of Saint Nicholas (Roman Catholic)

Bari, Apulia (Italy)