Chiesa di San Giacomo, Gothic parish church in Villanova district, Cagliari, Italy.
San Giacomo is a Gothic parish church in Cagliari's Villanova district, featuring a single nave with five chapels on each side and a tall bell tower built in the Gothic style. The exterior displays a blend of Gothic-Catalan design with a Neoclassical facade added by architect Gaetano Cima during 19th-century renovations.
The building was first documented in 1346 and received its bell tower between 1442 and 1447, showing its early place in medieval Cagliari. Later, 19th-century renovations transformed its appearance, adding the Neoclassical facade that still defines it today.
The interior holds a 15th-century terracotta sculpture and a Neapolitan organ built by Carlo Mancini in 1769, showing how artistic traditions from different Italian regions came together here. Walking through the space, you notice how these works were carefully placed to shape the worship experience.
The church is located at Piazza San Giacomo 3 in the Villanova district and sits conveniently near shopping streets frequented by visitors. The area makes it easy to fit a stop here into a larger walking route through the neighborhood.
The bell tower was added in a separate construction phase between 1442 and 1447, more than a hundred years after the church was first documented. This two-stage development shows how medieval communities expanded their religious buildings to meet changing needs over generations.
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