Historic Churches & Crypts of Cagliari, Sardinia

The basilica is located in the heart of the medieval quarter of the Castello district near the Bastion of Santa Croce. First built in the 13th century as a synagogue, it was later transformed into a Catholic church. Up until 1492 this area was the Jewish quarter of Castello. Ferdinand II banished all Jews and Muslims who had not converted to Christianity. The synagogue and surrounding houses was given to the Jesuits. The first radical transformation was complete in 1661. When the Jesuits were banished from the island, the church passed to the state and was elevated to a basilica.

In 1254 a Romanesque church dedicated to Santa Maria was built within the walls of the Castello. In 1313 it became the Cathedral of Cagliari. Over the centuries since, there have been many interventions and restorations. The most significant of which were in the 17th century when a crypt was cut into the bedrock beneath the presbytery and the church was given a Baroque appearance – including a new façade. The crypt is made up of three interleading chapels, in which were placed the relics of 179 martyrs gathered from around Cagliari. In the 1930 the Baroque façade was demolished in favour of a more Romanesque look.

Each year from 1 to 4 May the church is the focus of Cagliari’s most important annual festival, the Feast of Sant’Efisio. The first church was built in the 13th century, said to be above the rock cut cavern that was the prison where Efisio was locked up before being martyred on the beach in Nora (303 AD). The church has been modified since, but its current Baroque appearance dates to the end of the 18th century. On 1 May the chariot containing the statue of Saint Efisio is taken to Nora during a spectacular procession, and returns some days later.

High metal railing protects the remains of a church that suffered only minor damage during Allied bombings of 1943, but was nonetheless demolished in 1947 (to access post-war reconstruction funding). Although this was a church built in the early 17th century, the first recorded mention of a church at tis site is in 1119, when the church was given to the Benedictine monastery of San Saturnino. The most recent archaeological excavations were in 2023. Follow the link for an interesting audio guide to the site, available in a number of languages.

First mention of the church is in 1519, but excavations suggest the site has long been a sacred area. The chapel of the Pieta has a striking Baroque altarpiece. The burial crypt with wall decorations imitating black funeral drapery was likely built when the cemetery surrounding the church stopped being used in the early 19th century. During renovation of the sacristy in 2000 a circular basin with steps leading into it was uncovered. Thought to date to the 4th century AD, it may be part of an early Christian church. A collection of the Church’s religious artefacts are on display in the Treasury Museum.

The crypt beneath the Church of Santa Restituta has a long history. A natural cave was converted into a hypogeum, which became a religious site for the Phoenicians, storage for the Romans, a Christian place of worship, a bomb shelter for Stampace residents in 1943, and today a popular tourist attraction. A few frescoes have survived, including a well preserved painting of John the Baptist. On 17 February 1943, as people rushed for shelter, 96 people were killed by shrapnel from a bomb. A guided tour is highly recommended to understand the various rock cut cavities.

With some of the finest examples of Baroque art in the city, this is the historic seat of the Jesuit Order in Cagliari. Three buildings make up the complex, the church, the convent and the novitate house that now houses the military hospital. The church was built at the end of the 17th century, before the cathedral. The Jesuits were expelled from the island in 1848, but returned 80 years later. Visitors are struck by the rich decoration of the church, which include stucco, frescoes and polychrome marble. The ceiling in the sacristy is worth the visit alone.

Built between the 5th and 6th centuries AD on a vast Roman necropolis, this is the site where Saint Saturno was beheaded in 304 AD for refusing to renounce Christianity. In 1089 it was given to Benedictine monks, and in 1669, it was partly dismantled for building stone for the cathedral. It suffered further damage during the WWII bombing in 1943. It is the oldest church in Cagliari, with Roman and Romanesque features still visible. Together the restored church and excavated necropolis is one of the most important paleo-Christian sites in the Mediterranean.

Cagliari’s treasury museum contains a range of precious religious artefacts from the Parish of Sant’Eulalia, including the church of the Holy Sepulchre and the now ruined church of Santa Lucia. Collections include silverware, paintings, sculptures and vestments, objects and images dating between the 16th and 19th centuries. Highlights of the collection include a 14th century painting of Madonna and Child, thought to be from the Siena region. A 15th century sculpture of Madonna and child has both Gothic and Renaissance features. A ticket to the archaeological area includes  admission to the treasury collections.