Bosa Cathedral
Encyclopedia
Bosa Cathedral, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception
, is a Roman Catholic co-cathedral
of the Diocese of Alghero-Bosa, located in Bosa, Sardinia
, Italy
. Before the creation of the new merged diocese in 1986 it was the seat of the Bishop of Bosa.
The cathedral stands in the historical town centre of Bosa, between the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and the River Temo
, at the height of the 19th century bridge.
s covered in tiles of coloured majolica
, and by the squat bell tower
in red sandstone
, uncompleted, carved with the date 1683. The same stone also characterizes other parts of the building, including the Rococo
decorations of the façade with its distinctive lesene (applied stone strips, or false pilasters) and cornices.
The interior has a single nave with a barrel-vaulted roof subdivided into five spans by pilasters and arches, with four side-chapels. The first chapel to the right is the great chapel ("cappellone") of the Sacred Heart
, very elongated and arranged like a miniature church in itself, mirroring the cathedral in which it is set: the end part contains four little side chapels and a larger chapel under an octagonal cupola.
The archway leading to the presbytery
is narrower than the nave and flanked by two pilasters. The presbytery itself, which is very deep, is covered by an octagonal cupola (planned in the opening years of the 19th century by the architect Domenico Franco) and finished by a semi-circular apse
, separated from the nave by a marble balustrade. Three steps lead to the presbytery; at the foot of the central stair are two marble lions. The high altar is also of marble of the 17th century, crowned by statues of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
and of Saints Emilius and Priamus, patrons of the town. To either side of the altar are the inlaid wooden choir stalls. The frescos are by the Parma
artist Emilio Scherer, between 1877 and 1878.
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
, is a Roman Catholic co-cathedral
Co-cathedral
A co-cathedral is a cathedral church which shares the function of being a bishop's seat, or cathedra, with another cathedral. Instances of this occurred in England before the Protestant Reformation in the dioceses of Bath and Wells, and of Coventry and Lichfield, hence the names of these dioceses...
of the Diocese of Alghero-Bosa, located in Bosa, 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...
. Before the creation of the new merged diocese in 1986 it was the seat of the Bishop of Bosa.
The cathedral stands in the historical town centre of Bosa, between the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and the River Temo
Temo (river)
The Temo is a river in western Sardinia, Italy....
, at the height of the 19th century bridge.
History
The origins of the cathedral lie in the 12th century, but the building has been substantially altered many times, particularly during the 15th century. The present building is the product of restorations carried out from 1803 onwards by the local architect Salvatore Are. The cathedral was re-consecrated in 1809. The decorations and furnishings were completed during the rest of the 19th century.Description
Externally the building is characterized by two cupolaCupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
s covered in tiles of coloured majolica
Maiolica
Maiolica is Italian tin-glazed pottery dating from the Renaissance. It is decorated in bright colours on a white background, frequently depicting historical and legendary scenes.-Name:...
, and by the squat bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
in red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, uncompleted, carved with the date 1683. The same stone also characterizes other parts of the building, including the Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
decorations of the façade with its distinctive lesene (applied stone strips, or false pilasters) and cornices.
The interior has a single nave with a barrel-vaulted roof subdivided into five spans by pilasters and arches, with four side-chapels. The first chapel to the right is the great chapel ("cappellone") of the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
, very elongated and arranged like a miniature church in itself, mirroring the cathedral in which it is set: the end part contains four little side chapels and a larger chapel under an octagonal cupola.
The archway leading to the presbytery
Presbytery (architecture)
The presbytery is the name for an area in a church building which is reserved for the clergy.In the oldest church it is separated by short walls, by small columns and pilasters in the Renaissance ones; it can also be raised, being reachable by a few steps, usually with railings....
is narrower than the nave and flanked by two pilasters. The presbytery itself, which is very deep, is covered by an octagonal cupola (planned in the opening years of the 19th century by the architect Domenico Franco) and finished by a semi-circular apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
, separated from the nave by a marble balustrade. Three steps lead to the presbytery; at the foot of the central stair are two marble lions. The high altar is also of marble of the 17th century, crowned by statues of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
and of Saints Emilius and Priamus, patrons of the town. To either side of the altar are the inlaid wooden choir stalls. The frescos are by the Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
artist Emilio Scherer, between 1877 and 1878.
Sources
- Naitza, Salvatore, 1992: Architettura dal tardo '600 al classicismo purista. Nuoro: Ilisso ISBN 88-85098-20-7