Description of the attraction
Stampache is one of the oldest districts of Cagliari, which until recently housed numerous craft shops (carpentry, shoe, blacksmiths) and where the traditions of their ancestors are still carefully preserved. This is a simple quarter, devoid of monumental buildings and disproportionate urban structures, but boasting an abundance of old churches. For example, the Church of San Michele, once part of a large religious complex, was built in the mid-17th century in the Spanish Baroque style for the Jesuit order.
The Church of Santa Anna was built at the end of the 18th century. During the Second World War, it was seriously damaged, but was later restored. The church is made in the Baroque style and is framed by towers on both sides. It is decorated with columns and pilasters, and three domes of different shapes and sizes crown the building. Inside is a 14th-century wooden crucifix and a colored marble altar. In the right wing of the transept, noteworthy is the neoclassical altar in black marble by Andrea Galassi (early 19th century). There you can also see the marble statue of the Virgin Mary with the Child. In addition, the church houses a wooden sculpture depicting Saints Joachim and Anne with their daughter Mary, and a painting by Giovanni Marginotti depicting Christ the Redeemer.
The Church of Santa Chiara is located near Piazza Yenne. Together with the adjoining monastery, it was founded in the late 13th and early 14th centuries for the community of Clarice nuns who lived here until the end of the 19th century. In 1943, the building was seriously damaged during the bombing of the city, and the monastery had to be demolished - only ruins remained of it. There is a church belfry next to them. The facade of Santa Chiara features a portal with an architrave beam, and inside you can admire a huge gilded wooden altarpiece. In the crypt of the church, you can see the foundations of the Middle Ages.
Another interesting church in Stampache is Chiesa dei Santi. This small temple was erected at the end of the 18th century on the site of a 16th century building, which in turn stood on the site of a 13th century church. Chiesa dei Santi is one of the most important religious buildings in Cagliari, as it is associated with the cult of the saint most revered by the locals - the great martyr Efisio. According to legend, it was at this place where the church stands today that the saint was seized and sent to Burrow, where he was beheaded. The relics of Saint Efisio are today kept in a niche in a massive altar made of colored marble. In the second chapel on the right, you can see a 17th century statue of the saint.
Finally, in Stampach, it is worth visiting the botanical garden with a huge collection of tropical plants and the Santa Croce bastion - the most spectacular of all.
