Chiesa di San Pantaleo
Chiesa di San Pantaleo
Counted among the most valuable expressions of Sardinian Romanesque architecture, the church of San Pantaleo in Dolianova is distinguished by the refinement of its decorative elements. Built between the 12th and 13th centuries, using local sandstone, this structure represents a remarkable example of medieval architecture. The façade is characterised by its richly ornamented semicircular arches, presenting a wide variety of subjects: phytomorphic, anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, geometric and monstrous figures. Of particular interest is the portal architrave, on which is set a marble slab from the Roman period depicting a snake moving through the reeds, an element that recalls the life of the physician saint Pantaleo. The interior of the building offers further elements of artistic merit, among which are the capitals decorated with scenes from the New Testament. The medieval frescoes in the apse deserve special attention, especially the Arbor vitae, a 14th-century work by Simone De' Crocifissi. Finally, the retable of San Pantaleo, dating from the late 15th and early 16th century, attributed to a Majorcan painter, further enriches the church's artistic heritage with its central depiction of the titular saint, flanked by the Madonna of the Book and scenes from the life of San Pantaleo.