3 Churches to explore in Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and an autonomous region of Italy. The island attracts more than a million tourists from both Italy, from the rest of Europe, and, to a lesser degree, from the rest of the world. According to statistics, tourist arrivals in 2016 were 2.9 million people.
The basilica of San Simplicio, in Olbia, is the most important and ancient religious monument in northeastern Sardinia and a testimony to the spread of Christianity on the island. Cathedral until 1839, parish church since 1955, it was awarded the title of minor basilica in 1993 by Pope John Paul II . It is dedicated to Saint Simplicio, proto-bishop of the city and martyr under the emperor Diocletian, today patron saint of the diocese of Tempio-Ampurias and Olbia.
The cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and Santa Cecilia is the main place of worship in Cagliari, the mother church of the homonymous metropolitan archdiocese and the parish church of the historic Castello district. The church looks like a combination of different artistic styles and holds seven centuries of historical memories of the city of Cagliari. Built-in the thirteenth century, in Pisan Romanesque style, it was elevated to the rank of cathedral in 1258.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria also known as Our Lady of Fair Winds is a Marian title associated with the Blessed Virgin Mary as Star of the Sea and patron of sailboats. In addition, it is first associated with a Roman Catholic shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary located in Cagliari, Sardinia. The Shrine is part of a complex of buildings which include the Basilica of Our Lady of Bonaria, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Bonaria and the monastery which houses the friars of the Order of the Blessed