Hundred towns and thousand churches in the Campidano
At three kilometers from Cagliari, near the old street connecting the city to the beach of Giorgino, it is possible to visit the little church of Sant' Efisio, which was built around the 1600. This church is property of the noble family Balleto, that let it at disposal especially for the occasion of the Saint’s celebration (look at Festival of Sant' Efisio).
Quartu Sant' Elena is the third most extended city of Sardinia, after Cagliari and Sassari (approximately 70.000 inhabitants since the last census). Its name derives from the distance calculated in miles (exactly four) between Quartu and the main city, along an ancient Roman path. The first installation goes back to the times of the Nuragic population, but also Phoenician, Roman, Vandal, Saracen and Spanish settled down in this strategic area on the gulf of Cagliari. We suggest you to visit the churches of San Pietro di Ponte, Sant' Efisio, Sant' Agate (XI century), SantaMaria di Cepola (XII century) and the parish of Sant' Elena (XVI century).
Selargius is a town of Cagliari metropolitan area, in which three ancient churches can be visited: San Lussorio (XVII century), San Giuliano (XII century d.C., hold a wooden cross of the 1500) and Maria Vergine Assunta (XVII century, but it seems that it has been reconstructed on a building of the XV century). Saint Giuliano was the parochial church until the XVI century. Medieval traces of burials f were found next to this church .
Sestu, a town of great rural traditions, boasts the little rustic church of Saint Gemiliano, example of the XIII century Romanesque style. The church of San Salvatore in the town centre is also from the same period. Good part of the construction material was plundered from the near ruins of Roman Age buildings, according to a custom of the time especially of the Vittorini monks from Marseilles: valid examples can be found in Nora (Sant' Efisio) and Uta (Santa Maria). Since a couple of centuries ago San Salvatore was the parochial church of Sestu, but it was subsequently deconsecrated for being used as a warehouse: it was perhaps for this reason that, in the XVI century, the actual parish of Saint George was built.
The church of San Giovanni Batiste is also very interesting. It is located in the historical centre of Assemini, town populated since the Phoenician arrival. This church is probably original from the VI century A.D (considering the influences of the Byzantine architecture) and confines with the parish of San Pietro apostle, which is a remarkable example of Gothic-Aragonese style, constructed at the beginning of the XVI century.
Villaspeciosa is a farmer town, not far from Assemini, where in its periphery appear the beautiful church of San Platano, an example of Romanesque style from the XII century. Some students think that it was constructed following the example of Santa Maria di Sibiola (look at Serdiana), in fact it was erected from the Vittorini monks, head chief of Sant Saturnino (Cagliari). Evident is the contaminations of style, probably due to the employment of artists from different countries. The facade presents a particularity: two portals, everyone of which corresponds to one aisle. The external perimeter walls have been built with the employment of marble, trachyte and tuff. A bronze bell of 1428 is fixed on the bell tower “a vela” . In Villaspeciosa we also find the parochial church dedicated to the Vergine Assunta that, can show again the wooden cross of the XVI century, that sixty years ago had been plundered by someone unidentified and has been recently found again in the laboratory of an antiquarian.
Even though any official document has never been found, the restoration works of Santa Maria church in Uta go probably back to the beginnings of the XI century A.D. Before then, two other churches in the surrounding territory were certified, but today only few ruins remain. In 1363, for sure, the Vittorini monks managed the monastery (at that time) of which nowadays we can only see the well. The monks of Saint Vittore from Marseilles, like in other localities, took advantage of the pieces of local Roman Age buildings for enlargement and restoration works. The Romanesque style prevails on the original one.
Decimomannu is closely tied to the festivity of the patron Santa Greca (look at Festival of Santa Greca), that animates the sanctuary built in the 1700's on the ruins of the previous one dedicated to the Saint. The facade has been restructured at the end of 1900. The church of Sant' Antonio Abate (1500) is decidedly most interesting under an architectonic point of view.
The church of Santa Maria di Sibiola (Serdiana) goes back to the beginning of the XII century, when the San Vittore monks already operating in Cagliari (basilica of San Saturnino) decided to expand their actions to Campidano and Sulcis-Iglesiente. The original façade presents a great chromatic (from the blocks of the so-called stone of Serrenti) and architectonic effect. The style of this church is very different from those of the south Sardinia.
The church of San Gemiliano (Samassi) was built on the ruins of a building from the period between the X and the XI century A.D. This church’s name derives from the monastery of Saint Mamiliano (belonged in fact to the monks of the island of Montecristo). The actual structure goes back to the end of the XIII century. In its surrounding area, were found Medieval traces of burials and an underground Byzantine tomb.
Serramanna deserves a visit, even if only for the beautiful church dedicated to San Leonardo (XVI century), example of late-gothic style, different from the others in Campidano: in the first place because of the octagonal bell tower (instead of square, as the local tradition imposes), and then the marble arc leading to the chapel of Santa Maria, with two lions carved among the relieves.
If you pass by Sardara, we suggest you to visit the churches of San Gregorio (Romanic-Gothic interesting example of the XIV century A.D.) and of the Beata Vergine Assunta (VXII century).
