Basilica di San Saturnino
The oldest church in Cagliari, an early Christian building dedicated to the patron saint, built on the site of a Christian necropolis.
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About the museum
The Basilica di San Saturnino stands in the Villanova district of Cagliari and is considered the oldest church dedicated to the city's patron saint and one of the main early Christian monuments of the Mediterranean. It was built as a martyrium in honour of Saturninus, martyred in Cagliari in 304 during the persecutions of Diocletian, on the site of a Christian necropolis. An initial structure of the 4th–5th century was rebuilt in the Byzantine era, in the 6th century.
In 1089 the ruins were given to the Benedictine monks of the abbey of San Vittore in Marseille, who reconsecrated the basilica in 1119 and restructured it with Provençal craftsmen in proto-Romanesque forms. After damage from the Aragonese siege of 1314 the site passed to the Knights of Saint George of Alfama and, in the mid-15th century, to the archdiocese of Cagliari; from 1614 excavations in search of the relics of the martyrs removed much material, which was reused for the cathedral. In 1714 it was dedicated to Saints Cosmas and Damian.
Badly damaged by the bombing of 1943, the basilica was rebuilt and restored after the war and reconsecrated in 2004. Of the original building, with a Greek-cross plan and a hemispherical dome, the central body and part of the apse survive; of the four rebuilt arms, the eastern one survives intact, with three naves and a semicircular apse. The surrounding necropolis area is still the subject of archaeological excavations. Today the monument is managed by the Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Sardegna.
Highlights
- Early Christian building with hemispherical dome on a Greek-cross plan
- Eastern arm with three naves and semicircular apse, in proto-Romanesque forms
- Surrounding Christian necropolis, still under excavation
- Among the main early Christian monuments of the Mediterranean
Permanent exhibition
- Basilica paleocristiana e area della necropoli – Visit to the basilica and to the archaeological area of the surrounding Christian necropolis.
- Operated by
- Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Sardegna (Ministero della Cultura)
Admission & discounts
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Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours, also in Sardinian, during extraordinary openings and events, often by reservation. |
