Outside

1. All around: many funeral inscriptions. 18 of them are the sailors who brought the Saint from Myra and had the privilege to be buried around the walls of the Basilica.
2. Backside: Angevin bas-relief with St Nicholas, with scenes from his life (XIV century).
3. Northern side: The Lyon Portal. Norman warriors at the conquest of Antioch by the Norman crusader Bohemond  (1098). Above: fantastic animals.
4. In front of the church:  An ancient longobard structure (?) and the Church of St Gregory (about 990 a.D.).
5. Main façade: Greek tower (at left). Inscription of the German consacration of 1197. Central Portal with liturgical scenes. Above: a sphinx. Underneath: the oxes bearing the columns (left of the left ox: tomb of one of the three chaptains of the ships of the 1087 expedition).
6. Inner court. Sarcophag of Sparano of Bari, chancellor of Charles I and Charles II of Anjou (+ 1294)

Once outside the church, opposite the front portal, stands the “Pilgrims’ Portico” (improperly named as the pilgrims were lodged in buildings on the back courtyards towards the sea). On the right, stands the Church of St. Gregory, built in Byzantine style around the year 1000.
Before walking along the outer flank of the Basilica heading towards the seafront, it is worth noting the Lions’ Portal, a true masterpiece, depicting battle scenes (perhaps the conquest of Antioch by Bohemond the Norman in 1098) as well as images of fantastic animals and monsters. On the door-posts, scenes of grape and wheat harvesting portray the main agricultural activities carried out by the inhabitants of Bari.