Sant’Antioco Martire

Sant'Antioco Martire is a small basilica in Sant'Antioco on Sardinia with roots in late antiquity. The building shows Byzantine features and hides beneath it an underground network of burial chambers and sacred spaces.

The basilica grew from a Christian shrine dating to the fourth century and was rebuilt after a structural failure in late antiquity. During the Middle Ages the site continued as a pilgrimage destination but faded in importance for a time.

Local devotion to the martyr shapes how people visit and pray in this space, with the underground chambers showing where early believers gathered. The inscriptions and carved symbols visible on the walls tell us something about what mattered to those communities.

Plan your visit during daylight hours when the underground areas are open to visitors. Exploring the lower levels requires sturdy shoes and should be approached with care since the passages are narrow and uneven in places.

The underground system connects with older Phoenician burial sites, making this the only known location on the island where such structures survive. This layering of two different time periods creates a rare archaeological phenomenon that visitors can walk through.