Sant'Antioco di Bisarcio
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The Basilica (formerly Cathedral ) of Sant'Antioco di Bisarcio is located on a hill of volcanic origin in a rural area not far from Chilivani, in the municipality of Ozieri in Sardinia . It is one of the largest Romanesque churches in Sardinia.
The church can be visited every day except Monday.
history
A Catholic diocese with seat in Bisarcium (later part of the Sardinian judiciary Torres ) can be established between 1065 and 1503.
The origins of the church go back to the second half of the eleventh century. The area around the church was one of the largest and most populous in the region when it was built. The church was later damaged by fire. A document mentions in 1139 a bishop Ardarensis episcopus of Bisarcio , who lived near the city of Ardara while the cathedral was being repaired . The restoration work was completed around 1153. In 1174 the two-tier portico was added and the church was given the shape that is still visible today. At the beginning of the 14th century, more and more residents moved to Ozieri due to the malaria epidemics . Today only a few remains of the settlement and the former bishop's residence remain on the west and north-west sides of the basilica.
description
The church is located in a remote location on State Road 597 halfway between Ardara and Tula , surrounded by only a few houses within a few kilometers.
The artistic and architectural elements of Bisarcio Cathedral are a combination of different styles and artists. Elements can be found that can be traced back to Romanesque Pisans and Lombards and French workers of Burgundian origin. The church is built from dark trachyte from local quarries.
The portico over two floors is designed according to the French model. On the lower floor with rich sculptural decorations there are three round arches . The two outer windows are designed by a cross-bar window (the left one is closed today). The right arch is adorned by a lion at the base of the pedestal. The central arch leads to the narthex with six cross-vaulted fields , supported by a cross-shaped column. On the right wall of the narthex there is a steep staircase to the upper floor, where there are three rooms. The middle one with an altar served as the private chapel of the Bishop of Bisarcio. Behind the altar is a rod cross window that opens to the interior of the cathedral. The room on the right has a characteristic fireplace in the shape of a miter .
From the narthex one enters the three-aisled church divided by columns. A semicircular apse forms the end of the central nave. This is completed by a timber-framed roof, while the aisles have cross vaults. Six narrow windows on each side of the nave, another in the apse and two above the entrance give off a soft light that keeps the interior of the basilica in the twilight.
On the south side of the church there is a bell tower, the upper part of which was demolished indefinitely. The tower is square, adorned with the same pilasters and arched friezes that mark the sides and apse of the church.
literature
- Roberto Coroneo, Salvatore Naitza; Donatello Tore: Architettura romanica dalla metà del Mille al primo '300 . Nuoro, Ilisso 1993, ISBN 88-85098-24-X (Italian).
- Francesco Amadu, Giuseppe Meloni: La Diocesi medioevale di Bisarcio, Sassari . Carlo Delfino editore, 2003, ISBN 88-7138-296-X (Italian).
Web links
- Basilica di Sant'Antioco di Bisarcio. www.bisarcio.comune.ozieri.ss.i, accessed September 5, 2018 (Italian).
Coordinates: 40 ° 38 ′ 41 ″ N , 8 ° 53 ′ 33.8 ″ E