San Nicola di Silanis, Romanesque church in Sedini, Italy.
San Nicola di Silanis is a ruined Romanesque church in Sedini, built on a rectangular plan measuring 18 by 36 Lucchese palms (about 5.2 by 10.5 metres). Its surviving facade shows Corinthian capitals and a pediment with egg-and-dart moulding, while the presbytery preserves a single column.
San Nicola di Silanis was built before 1122, when a deed of donation to the abbey of Montecassino names it; the donors, Furatu de Gitil and Susanna de Zori, had their names carved on the facade. Its architecture draws on the Basilica of San Gavino in Porto Torres and on the Lucca milieu, using the Lucchese palm of 0.2915 m for a plan of 18 by 36 palms. The church now stands in ruins in the territory of Sedini.
The carved capitals and decorative patterns show classical influences that link this building to other medieval churches across Sardinia. Visitors can see how these details reflect the artistic tastes of the time.
San Nicola di Silanis stands in ruins in the countryside of Sedini, in the Anglona region of northern Sardinia, not in the town centre. It is a roofless shell with no visitor facilities, so reach it on foot or by car and watch for uneven ground and loose masonry.
The church's plan was laid out in Lucchese palms of 0.2915 m, giving a rectangle of 18 by 36 palms. The same measure and the egg-and-dart on the pediment link it to Lucca's Sant'Alessandro.
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