Cattedrale di Santa Maria

Alghero’s Cathedral of Santa Maria brings together Catalan Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and neoclassical elements. Consecrated in 1593 before construction was complete, the church was developed over more than a century and remains the cathedral of the Diocese of Alghero-Bosa.

Why it matters

The cathedral reflects the changing architecture of Alghero, a city whose Catalan heritage is visible in its Gothic church and urban fabric. Alghero became a city in 1501 and the seat of a new diocese in 1503. Construction began in 1530; the unfinished church was consecrated in 1593, and work continued into the seventeenth century.

What to notice

The octagonal bell tower is crowned by a pyramidal spire covered in coloured majolica. Inside, the Latin-cross plan has three aisles and five Gothic chapels around the apse. The crossing is marked by an octagonal dome, while the high altar and other furnishings reflect later Baroque additions. Works associated with the cathedral include a mausoleum of Maurizio di Savoia by Felice Festa and paintings by Mario Delitala and Stanis Dessy.

Context and history

The church’s Catalan Gothic design is related to Barcelona’s Cathedral of Santa Eulalia. In 1638, the transept received a pavilion vault and the crossing an octagonal dome on a windowed drum. Giuseppe Massetti created the polychrome marble high altar in 1727. In 1820, a neoclassical Doric porch replaced the earlier façade. The cathedral is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and remains the seat of the Diocese of Alghero-Bosa.