Castelsardo Cathedral

Castelsardo, Italy

Castelsardo Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Anthony the Great. It became the seat of the bishop of Ampurias in 1503. In 1839 the diocese of Ampurias was merged into that of Tempio, and the episcopal seat moved to Tempio Cathedral, when that of Castelsardo became a co-cathedral, as it remains in the present diocese of Tempio-Ampurias.

The current building dates from the reconstruction begun in 1597 that lasted until the 18th century. The cathedral is a mixture of Catalan Gothic and Renaissance elements, and overlooks the sea directly. The interior is on the Latin cross plan, with a single nave with barrel vaults, side chapels and transept. The crossing has a cross vault on four pilasters with sculpted capitals.

The church has a tall bell-tower, topped by a small dome decorated with majolica.

The presbytery is raised, and has a marble balustrade. The apse, with a cross vault decorated with stars, houses the marble high altar of 1810, characterized by the church's main attraction, the Enthroned Madonna and Child, a painting of the 15th century, attributed to the Master of Castelsardo. Also by the latter artist is a St. Michael the Archangel, displayed in the crypt, now home to the diocesan museum.

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Details

Founded: 1597
Category: Religious sites in Italy

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

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User Reviews

Christopher Chung (2 years ago)
A cliffside cathedral hugging the rocks above the Mediterranean. Make sure to see the altarpiece, to which the Master of Castelsardo owes his namesake.
Patrícia Procházková (3 years ago)
Outstanding :-)
Thomas (4 years ago)
The inside isn't amazing but the exterior is worth a detour. Plus the city is a wonder !
Simon Charnock (5 years ago)
Very informative guide to the museum in the crypt where there are a lot of interesting and important artefacts. Well worth a visit.
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