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San Nicola statue in Craco Peschiera
(Photo courtesy of the Craco Society)
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Although San Nicola is not important to the Cracotan Christmas tradition, he is recognized world-wide as the basis for Santa Claus. In their great wisdom the Crachesi not only adopted San Vincenzo as a patron but also kept San Nicola Vescovo (Bishop) as their patron too.
The history of Craco, Note Storice sul Comune di Craco, tells us that the first patron saint of Craco was Santa Barbara. Veneration of her continued until the 13th century when San Nicola became popular throughout Italy and was made the patron saint of Apulia and Sicily along with many cities in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
San Nicola was the Bishop of Myra a city on the Turkish seacoast. In the 4th century, after his death, his tomb became a popular Christian pilgrimage site. When Myra came under Islamic rule sailors from Bari Italy took his body to their home port in 1087. Once there a crypt and ultimately a Basilicata was built for him by the mid-12th century.
In Craco, the Church of San Nicola Vescovo (Chiesa Madre) measured 48 ft. at its maximum width and 90 ft. at the maximum length. It was erected in three different stages: the main section in the thirteenth century, an additional section in the sixteenth century, and in the eighteenth century the dome and some additional windows were added. The interior was restored in the 1800s and decorated on the initiative of Archpriests Molfese and Giannone, with paintings of the Neapolitan school.
The church contained a mixture of styles: a bit Romanesque with a facade that does not have a cornice and some classic Byzantine domes that suggests a presence of the Greek Empire in the area. It was restored several times: late in the eighteenth century, just after the unification of Italy, and again in 1903. The church was maintained, until the 1970s. With the relocation of the church to Craco Peschiera the statues, including the one of San Nicola, (shown top left) were moved to the new location.
Although most of the non-orthodox Christian countries celebrate his feast on December 6th the feast day for San Nicola in Craco was traditionally celebrated on the first Saturday in May. Recently, it is also celebrated on the second Saturday of August in conjunction with the Madonna della Stella feast.
However, he was not entirely absent from the Craco Christmas celebrations. During the week before Christmas, the kitchens in Craco were busy making seasonal specialties including cartellate (crisp pinwheel pastries) sometimes called the "dahlias of San Nicola" because of their color and shape and their association with the nuns of the hospice for pilgrims of Saint Nicholas of Bari.
And of course, on Christmas Eve, families gathered to eat baccala (dried salted cod) and other seafood, then attend midnight Mass at La Chiesa Madre—the Church of San Nicola.
More information about San Nicola can be found at the St. Nicholas Center website which includes listings and photographs of La Chiesa Madre and Chiesa di San Nicola Vescovo in Craco.
The Board of Directors of The Craco Society would like to wish our members and friends a Blessed Christmas, and a Happy & Healthy New Year!
