Chiesa di Santa Maria di Coros
Chiesa di Santa Maria di Coros
The Church of Santa Maria di Coros, located in the territory of Ittiri, stands as a striking testimony to medieval religious architecture in Sardinia. This country church, immersed in the rural landscape, guards a rich and complex history that is intertwined with that of the Cistercian Order on the island.
The site on which the church stands once housed a monastery belonging to the Cistercian Order, in close connection with the not distant abbey of Santa Maria di Paulis. This connection suggests the existence of a well-structured monastic network in the region during the Middle Ages. It is assumed that the church functioned as a priory and, at the same time, as a hermitage, highlighting the versatility of religious structures of the time in meeting different spiritual and organisational needs.
Despite the absence of documents attesting to the precise date of construction of the building, scholars, based on a careful analysis of the architectural features, place its construction in the first half of the 13th century. This dating is corroborated by the evident concordances with the typical construction practice of the Cistercian masters working in central-northern Sardinia at that time, thus reflecting the influence of this important monastic order on sacred architecture on the island.
Unfortunately, only a few elements of the original mediaeval complex have come down to us: parts of the sides and, a particularly interesting element, the ogival barrel-vaulted roof pierced by a sub-arch. This last architectural detail is a distinctive feature of the building, testifying to the refinement of the construction techniques used.
The history of the Church of St. Mary of Coros is marked by numerous significant architectural interventions over the centuries. These interventions, particularly intense during the 16th and 17th centuries, profoundly altered the original appearance of the building. The mediaeval structure was progressively incorporated into new buildings, reflecting the changes in architectural tastes and liturgical requirements of later eras.
Despite the transformations it has undergone, the Church of Santa Maria di Coros remains an important historical-architectural document. Its evolution over time offers a fascinating insight into the different phases of religious architecture in Sardinia, from the Middle Ages to the modern age. Today, the building presents itself as an architectural palimpsest, in which traces of the medieval past merge with later interventions, creating a unicum of great interest for historians, architects and lovers of sacred art.
The presence of this church in the Ittiri area not only enriches the local cultural heritage, but also offers valuable opportunities to study the evolution of Sardinian religious architecture and the influence of monastic orders in the artistic and spiritual development of the island.
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