San Pietro di Sorres
Encyclopedia
San Pietro di Sorres is a cathedral
church and Benedictine
monastery in Borutta
, a village in the province of Sassari
, northern Sardinia
, Italy
. Built in Pisan Romanesque style during the 12th-13th centuries, it was the seat of the now disappeared diocese of Sorres until 1505. Since 1950 the church and the annexed monastery house a community of Benedictine monks.
The church is located at the top of a volcanic hill in the so-called Meilogu region.
times; archaeological excavations have proven the presence of the Carthaginians and the Romans
also. The few existing documents attest the presence of a settlement known as Sorres here during the 12th century, which was created as a bishopric see. The construction of a cathedral church dedicated to St. Peter was started in 1171-1178 under bishop Goffredo di Meleduno. They were completed in the early 13th century.
Sorres started to decline from the 14th century, after the area fell to the Aragonese
. The village was destroyed, with the exception of the cathedral and inhabitants were forced to flee to nearby towns, such as Borutta, which became the bishop's residence. The see was abolished in 1505, and was incorporated in the archdiocese of Sassari. The chapter of San Pietro di Sorres continued to celebrate in the church until all its members died.
Subsequently, the church and its annexed edifices lived a long period of decay, which was only halted by several restorations in the late 19th century. The church remained however abandoned until 1947, when it was chosen as the seat for a group of Benedictine monks. New restorations were carried on from 1950 and a neo-Romanesque monastery was built next to it, incorporating the remains of the previous ruined edifices.
The complex received the status of abbey in 1974.
medieval churches. The façade is divided into four horizontal sectors: the three lower sectors (the portal one and those above it) feature blind arcades and loggia
s decorated by rhombi
, another typical decoration of contemporary Tuscan religious buildings.
On the first step of the portal is the write Mariane maistro, likely the name ("Master Marianus") of the mason who directed the construction. The sides and the apse are decorated with Lombard band
s.
The interior is on a nave and two aisles divided by eight cruciform piers, characterized by white and blank bands, over which are rounded arches. The nave, covered with cross vaults, are illuminated by several mullioned windows; the frontal wall has a double mullioned window and an oculum. The left aisles houses a 15th century sculpture of the Madonna with Child, while, at the third pier, is a marble pulpit
in Gothic style, whose dating is uncertain (perhaps the 14th century).
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
church and Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monastery in Borutta
Borutta
Borutta is a comune in the Province of Sassari in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 150 km north of Cagliari and about 30 km southeast of Sassari....
, a village in the 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...
, northern 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...
. Built in Pisan Romanesque style during the 12th-13th centuries, it was the seat of the now disappeared diocese of Sorres until 1505. Since 1950 the church and the annexed monastery house a community of Benedictine monks.
The church is located at the top of a volcanic hill in the so-called Meilogu region.
History
The site of San Pietro di Sorres has been inhabited since at least NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
times; archaeological excavations have proven the presence of the Carthaginians and the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
also. The few existing documents attest the presence of a settlement known as Sorres here during the 12th century, which was created as a bishopric see. The construction of a cathedral church dedicated to St. Peter was started in 1171-1178 under bishop Goffredo di Meleduno. They were completed in the early 13th century.
Sorres started to decline from the 14th century, after the area fell to the Aragonese
Kingdom of Aragon
The Kingdom of Aragon was a medieval and early modern kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain...
. The village was destroyed, with the exception of the cathedral and inhabitants were forced to flee to nearby towns, such as Borutta, which became the bishop's residence. The see was abolished in 1505, and was incorporated in the archdiocese of Sassari. The chapter of San Pietro di Sorres continued to celebrate in the church until all its members died.
Subsequently, the church and its annexed edifices lived a long period of decay, which was only halted by several restorations in the late 19th century. The church remained however abandoned until 1947, when it was chosen as the seat for a group of Benedictine monks. New restorations were carried on from 1950 and a neo-Romanesque monastery was built next to it, incorporating the remains of the previous ruined edifices.
The complex received the status of abbey in 1974.
Description
The church and the monastery occupy a plateau at the top of a hill, at some 540 meters above the sea level, preceded by a large square. The exterior appearance of the church is characterized by the juxtaposition of black (basalt) and light white (sandstone) stones, as typical of Pisan-LuccheseLucca
Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca...
medieval churches. The façade is divided into four horizontal sectors: the three lower sectors (the portal one and those above it) feature blind arcades and 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...
s decorated by rhombi
Rhombus
In Euclidean geometry, a rhombus or rhomb is a convex quadrilateral whose four sides all have the same length. The rhombus is often called a diamond, after the diamonds suit in playing cards, or a lozenge, though the latter sometimes refers specifically to a rhombus with a 45° angle.Every...
, another typical decoration of contemporary Tuscan religious buildings.
On the first step of the portal is the write Mariane maistro, likely the name ("Master Marianus") of the mason who directed the construction. The sides and the apse are decorated 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.
The interior is on a nave and two aisles divided by eight cruciform piers, characterized by white and blank bands, over which are rounded arches. The nave, covered with cross vaults, are illuminated by several mullioned windows; the frontal wall has a double mullioned window and an oculum. The left aisles houses a 15th century sculpture of the Madonna with Child, while, at the third pier, is a marble pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
in Gothic style, whose dating is uncertain (perhaps the 14th century).