VIVA - New Active Tourism Itineraries in Villanova

The church of Santa Maria de S’Ispidale is located on a hill in the southwestern part of the municipality of Romana. It is not easy to retrace the historical context of the building, of which there are still documented evidence: in fact, the church is mentioned among the assets of the Jerusalem Preceptory of San Leonardo of the Seven Fountains in Santulussurgiu by sources which can be dated back to the seventeenth century. However, it is complex to define the dating system, which can be obtained only on the basis of a formal analysis.

A deep observation of the church points out a structure characterised by a longitudinal single nave of 7x4 meters, perfectly oriented. The masonry is built with the use of large ashlars, carefully squared, alternate with smaller unrefined stones, worked with less accuracy. During the analysis of the building it is important to take into account the restoration works that, in recent years, have led to the reworking of the façade and of the sides. The façade is characterised by a simple style, with an architraved entrance portal surmounted by a cross-shaped opening aligned with the bell gable lying on a sloping roof. A similar cross-shaped opening is visible in the back, where the apse isn’t visible anymore. The interior is characterised by a barrel vault.

The analysis of the building helps dating it back to the twelfth century and more specifically to the Romanesque style that, in a widespread and distinctive way, characterises the island territory. In particular, similar types of churches are quite widespread, i.e. the small single-aisled longitudinal churches, such as San Pietro of Onanì, San Lorenzo of Rebeccu in the territory of Bonorva or San Nicola of Trullas in Semestene. Besides this type of structure, it is possible to see the larger three-aisled churches, which often served as cathedrals, and the two-aisled and two-apsed churches, less common and more complex to interpret. In the case of the Church of Santa Maria of Ispidale, the understanding and the interpretation process of the monument could be facilitated by the conviction according to which the building in ancient times was linked to a monastery or a hospital, as suggested by the name itself.