Santa Maria della Mercede

Santa Maria della Mercede is a small Romanesque church at the edge of Norbello. Its stone nave preserves ten red crosses painted on the walls, interspersed with inscriptions and figures. The crosses and writing remain open to interpretation.

Why it matters

The church preserves a distinctive painted interior within a simple rural Romanesque building. The inscriptions include the names Barisone and Dorgotorio Pinna, while the meaning of the painted crosses and writing has been interpreted in different ways.

What to notice

The church has a single rectangular nave, a semicircular apse facing north-east and a timber roof. Its walls are built from trachyte and basalt in sack masonry. The gabled façade has an architraved doorway and relieving arch. Inside, ten clipeate crosses in red minium are arranged along the nave walls, accompanied by inscriptions and figures that include donkeys, fish and knights.

Context and history

The church is first recorded as Santa Maria di Norgillo in the condaghe of Bonarcado. The building is dated to the twelfth or thirteenth century, and its construction is associated with workshops from Bonarcado. It stands over the remains of a Byzantine necropolis dated to the sixth and seventh centuries. Around 1770, its dedication changed to Santa Maria della Mercede. The inscriptions have been read as a donation formula; a connection with the Knights Templar has also been proposed, but is not established.