It is the parish church in the historical district of Villanova, at the foot of the Castle, and one of the four most ancient parishes in Cagliari. The church of San Giacomo is located in the square of the same name, at the end of two of the town’s famous shopping streets, Via Garibaldi and Via Sulis, and flanked by the façades of the oratories of the Anime (Souls) and of the Santissimo Crocifisso (Holy Crucifix). The first mention of it is in the ordinances of the Councilors of the Castle (1346). It was probably built around that date. A century later it was flanked by the square bell tower, thirty metres high, as is written on a plaque placed at its base. The temple, one of the first examples of Gothic-Catalan architecture in Sardinia, was renovated between the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1630, its rank was elevated to collegiate church. It was consecrated in 1781. The church of San Giacomo, in the capital, acted as a model for various churches in the central-southern part of the Island, between the 15th and 17th centuries, among which the parish churches of Assemini, Atzara, Sestu and Settimo San Pietro.