San Gavino, Porto Torres
Encyclopedia
The Basilica di San Gavino (Basilica of Saint Gabinus) is a protoRomanesque
church in Porto Torres
, Sardinia
, Italy
. A former cathedral, it is now a place for the veneration of local martyrs and a parish church.
) was a bishopric seat from 489 until 1441, when the see
was moved to nearby Sassari
. The basilica is located in the Monte Angellu section of Porto Torres; an area where archaeological excavations have found a PaleoChristian necropolis
and two ancient basilicas, dating to the 5th7th centuries AD; one of which was built over the tomb of Saint Gabinus whose remains are inturred in the present church.
The earliest known document mentioning the church dates to 1065. According to it, the church was founded in the early 11th century by Gonario I
, giudice (duke) of Torres and Arborea, who commissioned the work to Pisa
n masters. The construction continued under his son Barisone I
, and was inaugurated by the giudice Marianus I of Arborea
and archbishop Constantine of Castra in 1080.
An epigraph in the Romanesque portal testifies restoration work in the 15th century, which introduced CatalanGothic
elements.
In the 18th century the crypt was renovated to house the remains of Torres' martyrs found in 1614.
The church has two apses, one on each shorter side of the rectangular plan. The exterior is decorated by blind columns and Lombard band
s. The ceiling is covered with lead plates.
. The nave is some three time wider than the aisles, and is covered by wooden truss
es; the aisles have instead cross vaults.
The high altar, which until the 19th century was in the middle of the nave, is now in the south-western apse; the opposing apse has a wooden catafalque
of the 17th century, housing polychrome statues of the martyrs Gabinus, Protus and Ianuarius.
The aisles led to the anti-crypt, in Renaissance style with statues of martyrs, and the crypt, which houses ancient Roman sarcophagi; the latter in turn house remains attributed to the Turres' martyrs.
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,...
church in Porto Torres
Porto Torres
Porto Torres is a comune and city in northern Sardinia, in the Province of Sassari.It is situated on the north coast about 25 km east of the Gorditanian promontory , and on the spacious bay of the Gulf of Asinara.-History:...
, 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...
. A former cathedral, it is now a place for the veneration of local martyrs and a parish church.
History
Turris Libisonis (Latin:Turris Libyssonis, present day:Porto TorresPorto Torres
Porto Torres is a comune and city in northern Sardinia, in the Province of Sassari.It is situated on the north coast about 25 km east of the Gorditanian promontory , and on the spacious bay of the Gulf of Asinara.-History:...
) was a bishopric seat from 489 until 1441, when the see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
was moved to nearby Sassari
Sassari
Sassari is an Italian city. It is the second-largest city of Sardinia in terms of population with about 130,000 inhabitants, or about 300,000 including the greater metropolitan area...
. The basilica is located in the Monte Angellu section of Porto Torres; an area where archaeological excavations have found a PaleoChristian necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
and two ancient basilicas, dating to the 5th7th centuries AD; one of which was built over the tomb of Saint Gabinus whose remains are inturred in the present church.
The earliest known document mentioning the church dates to 1065. According to it, the church was founded in the early 11th century by Gonario I
Gonario I of Torres
Gonario I Comita was the first known Giudice of Logudoro and Arborea from perhaps as early as the late tenth century and as late as circa 1038...
, giudice (duke) of Torres and Arborea, who commissioned the work to 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...
n masters. The construction continued under his son Barisone I
Barisone I of Torres
Barison I or Barisone I was the giudice of Arborea from around 1038 until about 1060 and then of Logudoro until his death sometime around 1073. He is the first ruler of Logudoro of whom we have any real knowledge. His whole policy was opposition to Pisa and support of monastic immigration from...
, and was inaugurated by the giudice Marianus I of Arborea
Marianus I of Arborea
Marianus I, known as Mariano de Zori, was an early Judge of Arborea. The exact date of his reign is unknown. Francisco de Vico, followed by José Pellicer, placed it in 1000–20 without any documentary evidence. Giovanni Francesco Fara, after analysing the documents, placed the reign of one unnamed...
and archbishop Constantine of Castra in 1080.
An epigraph in the Romanesque portal testifies restoration work in the 15th century, which introduced CatalanGothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
elements.
In the 18th century the crypt was renovated to house the remains of Torres' martyrs found in 1614.
Exterior
The church is located between two courtyards, known as atrio Comita and atrio Metropoli. In the southern side is the main entrance, a 15th century portal in Catalan Gothic style. It is surmounted by a rounded arch supported by two columns, whose capitals have angels with coats of arms.The church has two apses, one on each shorter side of the rectangular plan. The exterior is decorated by blind columns and 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 ceiling is covered with lead plates.
Interior
The interior has a nave and two aisles separated by two series of rounded arches which are supported by twenty-two columns, taken from ancient edifices, in gray marble and pink granite, and three pairs of cruciform pilasters. Most of the capitals are of Roman originRoman architecture
Ancient Roman architecture adopted certain aspects of Ancient Greek architecture, creating a new architectural style. The Romans were indebted to their Etruscan neighbors and forefathers who supplied them with a wealth of knowledge essential for future architectural solutions, such as hydraulics...
. The nave is some three time wider than the aisles, and is covered by 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; the aisles have instead cross vaults.
The high altar, which until the 19th century was in the middle of the nave, is now in the south-western apse; the opposing apse has a wooden catafalque
Catafalque
A catafalque is a raised bier, soapbox, or similar platform, often movable, that is used to support the casket, coffin, or body of the deceased during a funeral or memorial service. Following a Roman Catholic Requiem Mass, a catafalque may be used to stand in place of the body at the Absolution of...
of the 17th century, housing polychrome statues of the martyrs Gabinus, Protus and Ianuarius.
The aisles led to the anti-crypt, in Renaissance style with statues of martyrs, and the crypt, which houses ancient Roman sarcophagi; the latter in turn house remains attributed to the Turres' martyrs.