Percezione e ricezione del Medioevo in età moderna e contemporanea. Il caso della chiesa di Nostra Signora di Valverde e del Cimitero Monumentale di Iglesias = Perception and Reception of the Middle Ages in the Modern and Contemporary Ages: The Case of the Church of Our Lady of Valverde and the Monumental Cemetery of Iglesias

Usai, Nicoletta

Primo

2024-01-01

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Abstract

Medieval churches in Sardinia are often isolated in undeveloped areas, serving as the only witnesses to settlements that have now vanished. In some instances, however, these religious buildings are incorporated into modern or contemporary cemeteries, or are situated in their immediate vicinity. Recent studies have preliminarily attempted to establish guidelines for understanding this phenomenon, exploring whether the construction of cemeteries near medieval churches had any underlying rationale, based on the significance attributed to these buildings by the community. This paper aims to examine, within this research framework, the case of the Church of Nostra Signora di Valverde, likely built at the end of the 13th century, and the Monumental Cemetery of Iglesias, inaugurated in 1835. By reviewing the archival documentation held by the Superintendency for Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the Metropolitan City of Cagliari and the provinces of Oristano and South Sardinia, we will investi- gate the reasons behind the selection of this site for the cemetery and explore whether there are connections between the medieval church, which also underwent alterations in the 16th century, and the community of Iglesias in the redefinition of this part of the town.