Nostra Signora di Tergu
Encyclopedia
Nostra Signora di Tergu is a parish church in Tergu
, province of Sassari
, Sardinia
, Italy
. One of the most outstanding examples of Romanesque architecture
in the island, the church and the remains of the annexed abbey are located in a countryside area outside the village.
The construction of the church is attributed to the Giudice of Torres Marianus I
, who reigned from 1065 to 1082. In 1122 it was a possession of the abbey of Montecassino. It is mentioned in the Pseudocondaghe of Santa Maria di Tergu as having been consecrated in 1117, and built by workers from Pisa
and Lombardy
. In 1444 the church and the monastery became part of the archdiocese of Torres.
and of brighter limestone for the decorations. The façade, which is missing the upper part (crumbled down during the centuries) is divided into two levels. The lower one has two corner pilaster
s and two semicolumns supporting two arches with finely decorated archivolt
s in limestone. The central portal has an architrave with capitals, also in limestone, sculpted with acanthus
motifs.
The vegetable motifs are also present in the white frames of the upper level, showing a blind loggia
with five arcades, in which are contained unusual geometrical decorations. Also particular are the side coluns, having a zigzag
pattern. The central arcade houses a small rose window
.
The exterior sides are characterized by false columns with Lombard band
s. On the northern side is the square, sturdy bell tower.
The interior is on the Latin cross plan, with a nave and a transept
. The apse
, with a quadrangular plan, was rebuilt in 1664. To the same age dated the barrel vault
of nave, which has been replaced by the current wooden truss
es.
Tergu
Tergu is a comune in the Province of Sassari in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 190 km north of Cagliari and about 20 km northeast of Sassari in the Anglona historical regiona....
, province of Sassari
Province of Sassari
The Province of Sassari is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia in Italy. Its capital is the city of Sassari.-Geography:It has an area of 4,282 km², and a total population of 322,326 . There are 66 municipalities in the province, the largest of which are Sassari The...
, Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. One of the most outstanding examples of Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
in the island, the church and the remains of the annexed abbey are located in a countryside area outside the village.
The construction of the church is attributed to the Giudice of Torres Marianus I
Marianus I of Torres
Marianus I was the Judge of Logudoro from 1073, when he is first mentioned after his father or grandfather, Barisone I, until about 1082, when he is last mentioned...
, who reigned from 1065 to 1082. In 1122 it was a possession of the abbey of Montecassino. It is mentioned in the Pseudocondaghe of Santa Maria di Tergu as having been consecrated in 1117, and built by workers from Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
and Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
. In 1444 the church and the monastery became part of the archdiocese of Torres.
Overview
The church was built using slabs of red trachyteTrachyte
Trachyte is an igneous volcanic rock with an aphanitic to porphyritic texture. The mineral assemblage consists of essential alkali feldspar; relatively minor plagioclase and quartz or a feldspathoid such as nepheline may also be present....
and of brighter limestone for the decorations. The façade, which is missing the upper part (crumbled down during the centuries) is divided into two levels. The lower one has two corner pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s and two semicolumns supporting two arches with finely decorated archivolt
Archivolt
An archivolt is an ornamental molding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch. It is composed of bands of ornamental moldings surrounding an arched opening, corresponding to the architrave in the case of a rectangular opening...
s in limestone. The central portal has an architrave with capitals, also in limestone, sculpted with acanthus
Acanthus (ornament)
The acanthus is one of the most common plant forms to make foliage ornament and decoration.-Architecture:In architecture, an ornament is carved into stone or wood to resemble leaves from the Mediterranean species of the Acanthus genus of plants, which have deeply cut leaves with some similarity to...
motifs.
The vegetable motifs are also present in the white frames of the upper level, showing a blind loggia
Loggia
Loggia is the name given to an architectural feature, originally of Minoan design. They are often a gallery or corridor at ground level, sometimes higher, on the facade of a building and open to the air on one side, where it is supported by columns or pierced openings in the wall...
with five arcades, in which are contained unusual geometrical decorations. Also particular are the side coluns, having a zigzag
Zigzag
A zigzag is a pattern made up of small corners at variable angles, though constant within the zigzag, tracing a path between two parallel lines; it can be described as both jagged and fairly regular....
pattern. The central arcade houses a small rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
.
The exterior sides are characterized by false columns with Lombard band
Lombard band
A Lombard band is a decorative blind arcade, usually exterior, often used during the Romanesque and Gothic periods of architecture.Lombard bands are believed to have been first used during the First Romanesque Period of the early 11th Century. At that time, they were the most common architectural...
s. On the northern side is the square, sturdy bell tower.
The interior is on the Latin cross plan, with a nave and a transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
. The apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
, with a quadrangular plan, was rebuilt in 1664. To the same age dated the barrel vault
Barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
of nave, which has been replaced by the current wooden truss
Truss
In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...
es.