Church of Santo Salvatore
The church of Santo Salvatore, deconsecrated in the 1860s, is one of the few examples of Byzantine sacred architecture preserved in Sardinia. Its construction can be traced back to the period between the 9th and 11th centuries, as revealed by its masonry structures, the only ones that we can consult in the absence of documents related to that era to deepen our knowledge of the ancient building. The church has a cross-shaped plan, covered internally by a barrel vault and originally ended to the east with three apses of which only recently traces have been found at the foundation level.
Church of Sant’Antonio Abate
The construction dates back to the 10th-11th century. On the right side of the facade, there was a window with a brick frame which is now covered. The original structure of the building, created with Byzantine artistic and religious style, included three aisle (divided by arches) and three semicircular apses. Currently, only the central aisle and the end of the right aisle are visible. The central aisle is divided into four bays by transverse round arches made of bricks. The original barrel vault ceiling has been replaced with a wooden beam covering. Above the door leading to the sacristy, an inscription recalls the restoration works carried out in the building between 1923 and 1929 by the initiative of Bishop Saturnino Peri and Canon Oliviero Angioni.
Church San Domenico
The construction of this building was sponsored in the early 17th century by the Bishop of Alghero, Nicolò Canavera, a native of Iglesias. Thanks to a bequest made in 1610 by the canon Melchiorre Fença Canavera, a Dominican friary was annexed to the church. The building, in its evident late-Gothic style, represents a testimony of the artistic revival phase that developed in Sardinia between the 16th and the beginning of the 17th century. On the walls of the aisle, several tomb slabs were placed that originally were inserted in the pavement. The first on the right is of the canon Francesco Fontana, who died in 1801, the second bears the 18th-century epitaph of the canon Benedetto Apostoli, whose portrait is sculpted in high relief on the marble. The third tomb slab is of Bishop Nicolò Canavera (died on July 13th, 1613). The last epigraph is on the left wall and is of Giovanni Battista Cogoti, dating back to 1772. It should be noted that this church lacks a presbytery, which was completely demolished to allow for the opening of the adjacent via Eleonora to traffic. The access arch to the presbytery was thus incorporated into the new back wall, where the current altar was placed between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and in whose central niche stands the simulacrum of Saint Dominic.
Church of San Michele
The building, whose façade was never completed, was constructed between the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the next, and displays the typical features of Catalan late-Gothic architecture. The oratory dedicated to the Archangel Michael was built by the initiative of the Confraternita del Sacro Monte della SS. Vergine della Pietà. During Holy Week, the oratory of San Michele becomes the focus of the city’s religious life. From here, the evocative processions start through which the faithful are called to relive the mysteries of the passion and death of Jesus. With rituals that have remained unchanged over the centuries, the confreres, in their characteristic Spanish-derived costumes, accompany the faithful in this suggestive reenactment, traversing the streets of the historic center of Iglesias, inviting the faithful to recollection, meditation, and prayer. Children, youth, and adults participate in the processions wearing a white linen tunic that covers up to the calves, cinched at the waist with a cord, while the face is covered by a hood called “Visiera”. Because of this clothing, they are called Baballotti; a term that in Campidanese Sardinian can be translated as “little animal or small insect”. Those who belong to the Archconfraternity are called Germani; a term that derives from the Spanish hermano (= brother). Their costume is composed of a shirt adorned with black velvet bows and ruffles on the shoulders, collar, along the front opening, and at the end of the sleeves. A wide skirt that covers the ankles completes the outfit, enriched by a white silk sash with a rosette that tightens the hips.
Church of Beata Vergine di Valverde
The church, built around the end of the 13th century, represents an architectural model with Roman origins and Gothic lines. The façade, entirely made of volcanic ashlars, is divided into two orders by a molded horizontal cornice. In the first order, there is the portal surmounted by a round arch with hood moulding, while in the second order, there is a Gothic window, with hood moulding too. The interior underwent profound transformations at the end of the 16th century: the original roof with trusses was replaced with pointed arches supporting wooden sloping roofs; the new squared presbytery was covered with a ribbed vault; two chapels were opened on the right side, while the one on the left is now walled up. In the central gem, the largest one, the Madonna and Child are depicted. In the four minor gems, respectively, the name of the author of the work: Melchiorre Serra; the date of execution of the work 1592; the name of the supervisor of the factory, the “obrer” Antioco Spada; the monogram of Christ JHS.
Church of San Francesco
The current building dates back to the 16th century and is the result of a complete renovation of the previous 14th-century structure. It represents one of the most significant Gothic-Catalan architectures in Sardinia. The simple façade features an archaic portal. Aligned with it is a rose window enclosed by modulated frames and, higher up, a capital supporting a graceful marble sculpture of the pregnant Virgin. The interior is divided into bays by transverse arches resting on semi-pillars of shaped trachyte blocks. The capitals of the second and third pillars are carved with the coat of arms of the Iglesian municipality during the Aragonese and Spanish periods. On the capital of the fourth pillar, the Franciscan order’s emblem of two crossed arms appears on both the right and left sides. The next shield, on the fifth capital, bears the inscription “O.P.A.” and the date 1558. The square-plan sanctuary is raised and covered by a stellar vault. Seven chapels open on each side, and from the first chapel on the right, one can reach a masonry choir loft. Worth noting among the liturgical furnishings is the Retable of the Virgin attributed to the Stampacino painter Antioco Mainas, created around the mid-16th century.
Church of Vergine Purissima
The construction of the church dedicated to the Vergine Purissima (Virgin Most Pure) and the adjacent college was commissioned by the Jesuits, present in Iglesias since 1578. The construction of the church, started at the turn of the 17th century, had a rather long development and was consecrated in 1728 during the pastoral visit of Archbishop Falletti. To the left of the church stands the bell tower, built between 1909 and 1913. The building has a plan with a central aisle flanked by raised side chapels. The main space ends in a large quadrangular presbytery, also located on a higher level than the aisle. The paintings in the second and third chapel on the left, featuring the Nativity, the Annunciation, the Prayer in the Orchard, the Supper in Emmaus, and the Apparition to Santa Margherita, were created between 1906 and 1908 by the painter Luigi Gambini and his collaborators. Currently, the Church of the Vergine Purissima houses the 8 “Candelieri,” representing the guilds and historical neighborhoods that parade during the great Celebration of Sancta Maria di Mezo Gosto.
Cathedral of Santa Chiara
The Cathedral of Santa Chiara was the first cathedral in the world dedicated to Chiara of Assisi and is located in the historic center of Iglesias, in Piazza Municipio. It was erected by the will of Count Ugolino della Gherardesca in Roman-Gothic style between 1284 and 1288, and only later, in 1503, did it assume the role of cathedral. The facade is flanked by a squared bell tower in whose bell chamber there are four bronzeworks, the oldest of which dates back to 1327, by Andrea Pisano. The interior, extensively renovated starting from the 16th century, has a Latin cross plan with a single aisle and side chapels. The aisle is divided into four bays by pointed arches. The bays were built between 1576 and 1588 and are particularly important for their depictions which refer to the artistic and religious sensibility that characterized the city during the Spanish era. The crucifix is carved in the first bay, while the second depicts a scene of the martyrdom of Saint Antioco (Patron Saint of the Diocese). The third bay has the figure of Saint Antioco praying in the center. The presbytery vault in the center features Christ in the robes of the Judge at the end of time, while in the minor keystones, Saint Chiara, Saint Sebastian, Saint Antioco, and Saint Giovanni Evangelista (John the Apostle) are depicted. The altar of St. Antioco is made of carved and gilded juniper wood between 1712 and 1718.
Bishop’s palace
Palazzo Vescovile (Bishop’s Palace) overlooks Piazza Municipio and is connected by a gallery to the Cathedral of Santa Chiara. The first design for the episcopal palace was drawn up in 1763 by the Piedmontese military engineer Saverio Belgrano, among the first to spread in the island the architectural innovations with which the architects of the Savoia managed to give a more sober interpretation to the Baroque style. Belgrano’s design was followed by three other projects. When the church of Santa Chiara obtained Cathedral status in 1503, the palace became the Episcopal residence and the bishop moved to Iglesias.
Town Hall
The building is located in the heart of the historic center, in a central position with respect to the original perimeter of the medieval walls. It was built by the Vincenzo Sulcis company, between 1871 and 1872 based on the design by the civic engineer Antonio Cao Pinna. This architectural feature goes back to one of the moments of maximum growth of the city, supported by the increase in mining activity. The council chamber is particularly interesting, with decorative interventions carried out in the 1920s by Francesco Ciusa, a famous Sardinian sculptor, and Remo Branca, an illustrator and painter.