There are well-documented sources regarding its history from a particular moment onwards: the continuous interventions inside it led to a change in ‘style’, while it took almost three centuries to complete the bell tower. Despite this, the Church of San Michele Arcangelo, parish church of Collinas, is considered a fine example of Gothic-Aragonese architecture in Marmilla. The building, in the centre of the village, overlooks a churchyard, which is raised compared to the level of the street, to which it is connected via a spectacular flight of steps. On the outside, you can admire a façade made with squared ashlars, in which a large portal framed by a double cornice, a rectangular window, a crowning element shaped like a ‘carabiniere’s hat’ at the top and two symmetrical spiral decorations between the window and the crowning element stand out.
The bell tower is divided into three orders: the first is square and ends with a cornice; the second and the bell chamber, however, are polygonal. Its construction began in 1684 and its current height of 29 metres was reached in 1961. To the left of the entrance, there is an inscription showing the date of 1325, perhaps dating back to a pre-existing church. It was found in one of the tombs that the previous floor of the nave - made of stone slabs, but now destroyed -, had concealed from view. The church hall is divided into a single nave, ending in a presbytery and, behind it, the chapel of the Choir. On the sides of the nave you will notice six chapels with cross vaults. The nave originally had a trussed roof, while today it has a barrel vault decorated with frescoes. The most evident pictorial work is found in the arcosolium of the presbytery: it is a fresco depicting an allegory of Saint Michael. In this room, you will notice three marble Baroque-style altars and an inlaid marble balustrade. The chapels, which were built in various phases, are dedicated to Our Lady of Itria, to the Rosary, to Saint Ignatius of Laconi, to the Virgin Mary, to the Crucifix and to the Virgin of Carmel. Its furnishings include a precious marble baptismal font, with a wooden cover, an ancient holy water font made of stone - kept in the sacristy -, three wooden statues by the Neapolitan school dating back to the 16th century and a polyptych, depicting the Virgin of Carmel and attributed to artists from the school of Pietro Cavaro.
Saint Michael is the patron saint of Collinas, where a heartfelt celebration takes place in his honour, culminating in a procession on 29 September, accompanied by music and folk groups. It is an opportunity to visit the cultural attractions of the area: in the village, the museum dedicated to Giovanni Battista Tuveri, a jurist, philosopher and politician born in the village, deserves a visit. Among the Nuragic sites, visits to the nuraghe Concali and the Giants’ Tomb of Sedda sa Caudeba are a must.