Neoclassical architecture in the Oristano area

Neoclassical architecture in the Oristano area

In a few dozen meters, in the centre of Oristano, a range of classical forms and elements are concentrated in civil and religious buildings: follow a short and fascinating cultural itinerary to discover them

An extraordinary concentration of valuable architecture

You will recognize neoclassicism in the strict proportions of the church of San Francesco, the facade of the Scolopi Institute, the chapel of San Luigi Gonzaga in the cathedral and the nineteenth-century Palazzo Corrias Carta

San Francesco

The current neoclassical church of San Francesco has replaced the old Gothic building. The work was begun by Sassari architect Antonio Cano, and completed by Gaetano Cima from Cagliari (1842). Walking through the centre of Oristano, you will notice that the church acts as a connection, visual and physical, between Piazza del Duomo, Piazza Eleonora and Via De Castro. A wide stairway leads to the area just in front of the entrance, where there are five classical columns that support the triangular tympanum. The building is marked by pillars, Ionic semi-columns and arches in strict classical style, and topped by a hemispherical dome.

San Francesco - Oristano

Amongst the religious buildings of Oristano, in the central-western part of Sardinia, is one of the greatest classicist examples on the island and...

Istituto degli Scolopi (Piarist Institute)

The Scolopi institute was also founded around 1830 by the combined work of Cano and Cima. You can see it between the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (Oristano cathedral), the church of San Francesco and the ancient Mariano tower. Its long and tall façade proposes classical elements in the white columns and pilasters leaning against the wall and in the rigorous simplicity of the layout.

San Luigi Gonzaga’s Chapel in the Cathedral

Inside the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, you can admire the chapel of San Luigi Gonzaga, a neoclassical room, built in the first half of the nineteenth century thanks to a legacy of the canon Tola da Solarussa. The work, performed by Piedmontese architect Giuseppe Cominotti, is characterized by its regal appearance and refined imperial style. You can't help but notice the fake red damasks on the walls with light-coloured, smooth marble pilasters, and the stucco and gold decorations that cover the chapel. The statues and marble decorations are by Sassari sculptor Andrea Galassi, a pupil of Canova.

Santa Maria Assunta - Duomo di Oristano

The largest cathedral in Sardinia, which presides over the Archdiocese of Arborea, is known as the Cathedral of Oristano, the main building of the...

Palazzo Corrias Carta

The last stop is a nineteenth-century palace, between Corso Umberto I (called 'via Dritta') and Piazza Eleonora. Designed by Cima, the building has a semi-circular corner with balustraded windows, while the lower level is marked by high pilasters.