The most shining example of Italian Gothic style in Sardinia, before the spread of Catalan style, has been standing for centuries, challenging the precarious stability of the ground, thanks to continuous restoration actions. The church of San Pantaleo stands just outside the town of Martis and was built on a rocky spur overlooking the Rio Carrucana valley. There is no certain information on its foundation, but it is thought that it dates back to the first quarter of the 14th century. Two centuries later, the first restoration work was carried out, with reconstruction and consolidation, which were then repeated during the 19th century. Finally, in 1920, its deconsecration took place, due to the risk of a sudden collapse. Since 1988, the church and the rock ‘plinth’ on which it rests have been the subject of stabilisation and renovation work, aimed at ensuring the survival of the building.

It has a basilica-type layout with three naves - although it originally had a single nave - with cross vaults in the central nave and ribbed vaults in the side naves, separated by cross-shaped pillars that support pointed arches. The presbytery is closed by a quadrangular apse, which ends overlooking the edge of the rocky spike. The façade has retained a good part of its decorations, with the exception of the rose-window, which has nevertheless maintained its two-tone array, with alternating ashlars of black trachyte and light limestone. On the left side of the façade, you will notice a trace of the original entrance. The quadrangular bell tower is also still in good condition: the lower part dates back to the first construction of the church, while the upper part was rebuilt in the 16th century. The walls retain several decorations: on the north side, near a single-lancet window, you can see some engravings depicting crosses and a circle with floral elements. On the opposite side, there is an inscribed star, while you can spot traces of frescoes on some walls. The church also contained a precious oil-painted altarpiece, depicting the ‘miracle of San Pantaleo’, created by Andrea Lusso in 1595 and now on display in the parish church dedicated to San Giuseppe.

The church is shrouded in myths and legends: there are stories of miracles inside it, secret environments hidden under the foundations and ruins of ancient temples dedicated to the worship of the water on which it was built. The presence of an underground aquifer is, in fact, one of the causes of the landslide on the right side of the spur.

Just over a kilometre to the east, you can visit another unusual site: the Petrified Forest of Carrucana, featuring silicified fossils of tree trunks, dating back to volcanic phenomena that occurred twenty million years ago. In the opposite direction, you will find the waterfall of Triulintas, set in an almost fairy-tale landscape, with woods, lakes, little wooden bridges and the remains of an ancient mill.