Piazza San Giacomo

The Piazza San Giacomo, in Cagliari

The Piazza San Giacomo, in the Villanova district, faces the church of the same name, one of the oldest parishes of Cagliari. The Cagliari audio-guided tour stops here, with respect, to evoke this Catalan Gothic church mentioned from 1346, a model for other buildings of the island, and the neighbouring oratories, including that of the Holy Crucifix, seat of an archconfraternity active during Holy Week.

History

Here you are on the San Giacomo square, facing the church of the same name. To its right are the oratory of the Souls and that of the Santissimo Crocifisso, this last being the seat of the Archconfraternity of the Holy Crucifix, protagonist of many rites celebrated in Cagliari during Holy Week. The church of San Giacomo is one of the oldest parishes of the city: the first documented mention goes back to 1346. In the 1440s, its bell tower was erected. The building counts among the first examples of Catalan Gothic architecture in Sardinia and served as a model for the construction of several other churches of the island. In 1630, it was raised to the rank of collegiate, but was consecrated only a century later. The current façade, of neoclassical style, dates from the nineteenth century. Inside, in contemplation, are discovered five chapels opening on either side of the nave, a precious organ, and a rare collection of terracotta statues, the Compianto of the fifteenth century, representing the scene of the lamentations over the dead Christ, that you will contemplate with respect.

What to see

Here you discover, in contemplation, one of the oldest parishes of Cagliari, mentioned from 1346, one of the first examples of Catalan Gothic in Sardinia; its nineteenth-century neoclassical façade, its five chapels, its precious organ and its moving terracotta Compianto, as well as the neighbouring oratories, tell the fervour of Holy Week. The Piazza San Giacomo is a place of prayer of Villanova, to be visited with respect. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Piazza San Giacomo lies in the Villanova district, in Cagliari, reachable on foot; it faces the church of San Giacomo and the neighbouring oratories. It is a place of worship in activity, whose access is made in the respect of the services and of contemplation; the hours of visit vary. It is best to enquire before coming and to adopt correct attire.

What is the history of the church of San Giacomo of Cagliari?

It is one of the oldest parishes of Cagliari, mentioned from 1346; its bell tower was erected in the 1440s, and the building, one of the first examples of Catalan Gothic in Sardinia, served as a model for other churches of the island; raised to the rank of collegiate in 1630, it received its neoclassical façade in the nineteenth century and preserves a precious terracotta Compianto of the fifteenth century.

Where is the Piazza San Giacomo in Cagliari?

In the Villanova district, in Cagliari, in Italy.