Purissima, Gothic church in Cagliari, Italy

Purissima is a church on Via Lamarmora in Cagliari's Castello district, built without a frontal facade: the entrance opens on the side facing the street, past a high barrel-vaulted portico and a Gothic portal. Inside, a single nave of two bays with simple Gothic cross vaults is flanked by side chapels and a presbytery covered by star rib vaults.

The church was built in 1554 at the wish of a Cagliari noblewoman, together with the adjoining convent, on the site of an earlier church dedicated to Saint Elizabeth. It kept its original Gothic-Catalan interior. After restoration by the Cultural Heritage Office of the Municipality of Cagliari, it reopened in May 2012 during the Monumenti Aperti event.

The church is also known by its full title, Beata Vergine Maria, and it stands a few steps from Piazza Indipendenza. Its 2012 reopening took place during Monumenti Aperti, the event when Cagliari opens normally closed heritage sites to the public.

The church sits in Cagliari's old town and is walkable to reach, though the narrow streets nearby require careful navigation. It is wise to check opening times in advance, as religious ceremonies may limit public access.

The church has no front facade: the entrance opens on the side facing Via Lamarmora, reached through a tall barrel-vaulted portico and a Gothic portal. The star rib vaults of the chapels and presbytery, more complex than the nave's simple cross vaults, came to Sardinia under Spanish rule between the 14th and 17th centuries.