It is of medieval origin, perhaps dating back to the 12th century, but it now has a 19th-century appearance and its charm is linked to the original interweaving of different styles. Bosa Cathedral is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and is the co-cathedral of the Diocese of Alghero-Bosa, standing almost adjacent to the right bank of the Temo river, with the medieval district of sa Costa extending alongside it. Walking through the narrow streets of the village with its colourful houses, you will suddenly see the majestic outline of the cathedral and the late Baroque and Neoclassical-style façade, which is divided into two orders separated by a protruding cornice, with pilasters and pilaster strips made of red trachyte.

Once through the entrance, you will see a single-nave layout with a barrel-vaulted ceiling, divided into bays and with four adjoining chapels on each side. In reality, the first chapel to the right seems like a church in itself: it is called the ‘chapel of the Sacred Heart’ and is adorned with side altars, while its presbytery is raised and domed. The main presbytery is also raised. It can be accessed via a staircase with two marble lions at the base and its ceiling has a dome inserted onto an octagonal tholobate. The main altar contains the statues of the patron saints of Bosa, Emilio and Priamo. Along the walls of the sanctuary, you will notice a captivating series of tempera paintings, depicting Dante’s Paradise, created over the two-year period of 1877-78 by Parma-born artist Emilio Scherer. The bell tower, made entirely of red trachyte, was never completed. The date 1683 is carved into it, providing evidence of a construction phase of which no other traces remain. Starting in 1803, the cathedral underwent long and impressive restoration work that greatly modified its structure and appearance, while the internal decoration work continued for much of the 19th century.

The church became a cathedral at the expense of the more ancient San Pietro extra muros, a charming Romanesque sanctuary that you can admire a few kilometres outside the town, in the area in which the original town of Bosa was once located and is now no longer there. The medieval Bosa goes hand in hand with the Castle of Serravalle or Malaspina, which dominates the landscape from the hill of the same name. In the courtyard of the fortress, you can admire the curtain wall and the watchtowers and you will hear tales of legendary battles, betrayals, ghosts and secret passages. You can also visit the church of Nostra Signora de sos Regnos Altos that has an extraordinary series of frescoes on its walls. The church is where the town’s most heartfelt religious festival takes place, while the most famous ‘pagan’ one is the karrasegare osincu, the carnival of Bosa.