The Romanesque Church

The Romanesque Church of Our lady of Tàlia is found in the heart of the urban centre of Olmedo, and is included in the architectural panorama of Medieval Sardinia. It was once dedicated to Holy Mary of Ulumetum, when the village of Ulumetum was the see of the curator of the Judgedom of Torres (tn* one of four Sardinian medieval kingdoms, called Judgedoms or Judicatures: independent states that took power in Sardinia in the Middle Ages, between the 9th and 15th century AD). Afterwards, the church was called Our Lady of Tàlia, taking its name from a simulacrum found near the archaeological site of Tàlia. The building, dating back to 1100 – 1125, was probably built by Tuscan-Lombard workers, using ashlars of limestone, basaltic trachyte, and red tuff. The lower walls of the church are characterised by roughly cut blocks of stone, while in the upper part, we find perfectly squared stones, maybe thanks to an ancient rebuilding. The structure is characterised by the architectural simplicity of the Early Romanesque in Sardinia: the façade presents an entrance portal with architrave and a round relieving arch ( tn* an arch, usually segmental and often a blind arch, built above the lintel of a door or window to discharge the weight of the wall above the lintel to each side). Along the extremities of the lateral naves there is a series of arches, also along the roof sides, that continue on the sides of the church. The central part of the façade is reinforced by sturdy corner pilasters and completed by a cross shape opening. On the sides and in the apse there are a few lancet windows. The surface of the apse is divided by half pilasters. The main body of the church measures ten metres by six in total and is subdivided into three naves: the lateral ones have barrel vaults with stilted arches, while the central one has a wooden roof. The naves end with the presbytery that is slightly elevated.

Source: Olmedo Town Council