Our Lady of Coros

The Church of Our Lady of Coros overlooks the plateau of Sas Seas, about four kilometres from Ittiri. The construction of the building probably dates back to 1250 and 1280, because in the lateral apparel, there seem to be stylistic similarities to that of the church of Saint Barbara, built in the countryside of Sassari in the 1280s. It is considered to be one of the last Cistercian buildings, since, besides the Romanesque-Cistercian architectural elements, it also has Gothic elements such as the lancet windows, one of the earliest appearances of Gothic architecture on the island. There is only one document that refers to the monastery of Coros: a Cistercian seal found in 1848 in Codrongianos and kept in the Archaeological Museum of Cagliari. The construction of the Church of Our Lady of Coros was assigned to local workforce, active during the first half of the 13th century in the northern area of Sardinia, with links to Arabic traditions. It was stipulated that they respect the construction modules regarding religious buildings. The church of Our Lady of Coros was administered by the Abbey of Our Lady of Paulis. In the 12th century the church was subjected to an enlargement: big arches were created, where the ashlars were decorated with ornamental elements represented by carved and protruding plant-shaped decorations. The façade of the church maintains a very simple style: it has square limestone ashlars, the portal with architrave is surmounted by a triangular gable and aligned with the portal is a rhomboid eye. The inside has a single nave with a barrel vault. It was renovated in 1981, when the apse and the diamond-shaped ashlar arch of the portico were rebuilt, by the “Soprintendenza ai Beni Ambientali, Architettonici, Artistici e Storici”, a Public Organisation that governs Environmental, Architectural, Artistic and Historical Heritage. On 8th September every year, a country-side feast is held in the church, much loved by the people of Ittiri and its surroundings.

Source: “Ittiri news and images from the past” (in Italian) by Mario Faedda; “Ittiri Our Lady of Coros”, Ministry and Superintendence of Environmental, Architectural, Artistic and Historical Heritage for the provinces of Sassari and Nuoro.