DESCRIZIONE:
La chiesa di Sant’Antonio Abate si trova nel centro storico di Orosei, un luogo che ha svolto un ruolo importante tra terra e mare.
Nel corso del tempo, diversi restauri hanno cambiato l’aspetto originale, aggiungendo un transetto e due cappelle laterali.
Gli affreschi all’interno, probabilmente del XIV secolo, risultano danneggiati ma in parte sono stati recuperati nel secolo scorso insieme a elementi medievali.
La chiesa ha un aspetto mononavata con un portico e presenta dettagli romanici, tra cui un doppio spiovente sulla facciata e un oculo svasato.
All’interno, ci sono affreschi trecenteschi con figure religiose.
La festa di Sant’Antonio Abate il 16 gennaio è un’occasione speciale per visitare la chiesa e partecipare ai rituali del falò.
NARRAZIONE:Some places are located in the centre of heterogeneous landscape contexts where hinterland and sea come together, giving the communities an important intermediary role with the world beyond the coasts. The ancient villa of Orosei, located between the Gennargentu massif and the coast, has historically fulfilled this function, as demonstrated by the ‘Liber Fondachi’, which reports the statutory organisation of the flourishing port of Orosei and the Pisan merchants in the years 1317-19.
The church of Sant’Antonio Abate, surrounded by small traditional houses called “cumbessias” and contiguous to the tower of the same name, a survivor of the ancient medieval fortifications, probably Pisan, is located in the historical centre of Orosei. Over the centuries, it underwent several restorations, the most radical of which involved the total reconstruction of the façade, the vault and the layout of the hall in relation to the presbytery; on that occasion, the nave was extended and the transept and two side chapels were added.
As a result of these works, the cycle of frescoes, probably dating back to the 14th century, inside the church was severely compromised. These were partly recovered in the last century along with the oldest elements of the original medieval layout. In its present state, the church is single-naved and has a later portico that is inserted into the northern side. On the façade, the double slope of the early Romanesque structure is still visible above the entrance portal, above which the later splayed oculus opens.
The southern flank has a side entrance, above which three rectangular windows open, illuminating the hall; to the right of the portal itself is the volume of the chapel forming part of the transept. The northern side, visible within a later arcade, is similar to the southern side, but differs in that it has a raised entrance and direct access to the left chapel forming part of the transept.
Internally, the building has a single barrel-vaulted nave with frescoes, probably from the 14th century, depicting figures of Christ and saints.
BIBLIOGRAFIA:Roberto Coroneo, Architettura romanica dalla metà del Mille al primo ‘300, collana “Storia dell’arte in Sardegna”, Nuoro, Ilisso, 1993, pp. 220-221
Francecesco Floris (a cura di), voce ”Orosei”, in La Grande Enciclopedia della Sardegna, 2002, Newton & Compton Editori S.r.l., vol. VI, p. 615
Nicoletta Usai, La pittura nella Sardegna del Trecento, Collana “Pubblicazioni Dipartimento di Storia, Beni culturali e Territorio – Università degli Studi di Cagliari | Archeologia, Arte e Storia”, 2018, Morlacchi Editore
Nicoletta Usai, Santi eremiti e ospedali. Alcune riflessioni sulla Sardegna tardomedievale, 2021, Morlacchi Editore U.P.
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