THE CHURCHES

The church of San Paolo presents a single hall with transept and an apse oriented south-eastwards. The transept extends westwards, creating a longitudinal space parallel to the hall. The distinctive feature of this monument is the great variety of materials used for its building: this can be observed either on the façade and in the portions next to the sides – showing an alternation of dark volcanic stone and light-coloured sandstone – and in the arcadings following the external perimeter of the church, where chromatic contrasts were intentionally created. The façade, similar to that of San Palmerio di Ghilarza, is marked by pilasters describing three wide arcades. In the middle, a portal is aligned with a circular opening. On the lateral inter-pilasters, a moulded lozenge on each side gives a movement effect to the elevation. Lombard bands of different size run along the upper wall sections on the sides, the transept and the apse. Vertical partitions mark the apsidal basin into three inter-pilasters. 

The building was erected in two phases, from the mid-12th century to the beginning of the following one. The church construction has left no documents, while the title of Sanctu Paulu de Mili is confirmed in the Condaghe di Santa Maria di Bonarcado, a 12th-13th century written source. 

Roberto Coroneo, Architettura romanica dalla metà del mille al primo ‘300, Nuoro, 1993. Roberto Coroneo, Renata Serra, Sardegna preromanica e romanica, collana “Patrimonio artistico italiano”, Milano, 2004.Roberto Coroneo, Chiese romaniche della Sardegna. Itinerari turistico-culturali, Cagliari, 2005.