Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Italian counterpart Giorgio Napolitano will attend a ceremony to return a Russian orthodox church in the city of Bari to Russia on Saturday.The church, dedicated to St Nicholas, was built in the early 20th century to welcome Russian pilgrims coming to the city to visit the 11th-century Basilica of St Nicholas, where the saint's relics lie.
It was later acquired by Bari city council.
Former Russian president Vladimir Putin made an official request for its return in March 2007 during an Italo-Russian summit in the city.
The church, which has been housing municipal offices, is expected to return to its original function following the handover.
Bari is the most popular destination in the world for Russian orthodox pilgrims, for whom St Nicholas holds great importance.
Saturday's ceremony coincides with the saint's feast day, December 6, marking the anniversary of his death in 333 AD.
Metropolitan Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican's Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi will also attend, along with the Italian and Russian foreign ministers Franco Frattini and Sergey Lavrov.
Medvedev is then expected to visit the Basilica of St Nicholas before a state dinner, at which local dishes such as fava bean puree and chicory will be served.
A fourth-century bishop in what is now Turkey, St Nicholas was famous for his generosity and later developed in some regions of the world into the figure of Santa Claus.
Sailors from Bari stole his remains from the ancient city of Myra in 1087. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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(Source: Ansa)