A symbol of Cagliari's identity
The Basilica of Bonaria, the most important Catholic shrine in the whole of Sardiniastands on a hill top in Cagliari, the island's capital, and preserves an illustrious past.
In front of the church there is a very long staircase, which descends from the hill almost to the sea of the Cagliari marina, su Siccu. According to legend, in 1370, tossed by a storm, a heavy crate fell from a ship and washed ashore, in front of the Bonaria hill. The cargo contained a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary with the Child in her arms, and bearing a candle in her hand, which was miraculously still lit. The statue is kept on the altar of the small shrine, the island's prime example of Catalan-Gothic architecture, which stands next to the basilica and is joined to it by an arch.
The basilica, standing in front of a bright square, is dedicated to the Virgin and was built over a long period of time. Started in 1704, it was consecrated by Pius XI in 1926, was damaged during the war and has been restored several times. Inside, in the ten chapels and in the transept, you can admire canvases, statues, bas-reliefs and a rare pipe organ.
Next to the basilica is the monumental cemetery, a veritable open-air art gallery.