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Baptistery basilica

In the southern sector of Columbaris, you have the baptistery or smaller basilica, connected and communicating with the cathedral (figs. 1-2). Built between the IV and V century, it had a longitudinal three-nave plant with West facing apse (fig. 3).

1
Fig. 1 - Columbaris basilica area with indication of the baptistery basilica (drawing C. Cocco, F. Collu, from Cornus I, 1, p. 200, tab. II).
2
Fig. 2 - Map of the episcopal basilica (from FARRIS 1993, p. 100, Tab. 5).
3
Fig. 3 - Baptistery basilica, view from the East (photo by C. Cocco).

From the basilica you entered the cathedral through two doors (fig. 2) and the naves were divided by pillars and columns. The brick font is in the centre; internally it is cross-shaped and externally a polygon. There was a canopy with six columns above the bath. In the left nave, almost next to where baptisms were performed, there was a large basalt cistern: It was probably needed for the pre-baptismal baths (fig. 4). The deep apse was raised by four steps (fig. 5): above there was a structure with recess placed obliquely, and we still do not know what it was used for (fig. 6).

4
Fig. 4 - Pre-baptismal bath (photo by F. Collu).
5
Fig. 5 - Baptistery basilica: the baptismal font in the centre and the raised presbytery in the background (from FARRIS 1993, p. 36).
6
Fig. 6 - Raised apse (from FARRIS 1993, p. 51).


Over the centuries, the chamber and its surrounding area went through several changes: the eastern door was walled up, service areas were created to the sides of the apse and a cistern was built to the East of the church, supplying water to the baptistery. The southern sacristy had stairs to access the apse, a small closet and benches on three sides. To the West of the diaconicon there were buildings used to prepare the catechumens; these then went into the church when the rite was to take place. The columns would have delimited the path of the neophytes. Between the end of the V and start of the VI century, the chamber was restructured and made  cruciform, with a central cupola, at the intersection of the four arms. That fact leads to a series of worship buildings datable between the VI and VII century, present both in Africa (like in Sbeitla, fig. 7) and Sardinia, such as San Saturnino of Cagliari (fig. 8), San Giovanni of Sinis (fig. 9) and Sant’Antioco of the town of the same name (fig. 10).  The church was probably abandoned at the end of the VII start of the VIII century, as the structured collapsed because of a fire which affected all Cornus religious buildings (fig. 11).

7
Fig. 7 - Basilica of San Vitale at Sbeitla (from http://www.mmdtkw.org/CNAf009ChristianCarthage.html).
8
Fig. 8 - Cagliari: map of San Saturnino (from http://www.sardegnacultura.it/documenti/7_70_20060313174905.pdf).
9
Fig. 9 - Cabras: map of the church San Giovanni of Sinis (from http://www.sardegnacultura.it/documenti/7_70_20060321175531.pdf).
10
Fig. 10 - Sant’Antioco: map of the basilica of Sant’Antioco and underlying catacombs (from http://www.sardegnacultura.it/documenti/7_70_20060313175501.pdf).
11
Fig. 11 - Relief of the three basilicas (from CUGLIERI I, Tab. B).






Bibliografia

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  • M. FALLA CASTELFRANCHI, L’edificio battesimale in Italia nel periodo paleocristiano, in D. GANDOLFI (a cura di), L’edificio battesimale in Italia. Aspetti e problemi. Atti dell’VIII Congresso Nazionale di Archeologia Cristiana (Genova, Sarzana, Albenga, Finale Ligure, Ventimiglia 21-26 settembre 1998), I-II, Bordighera 2001, pp. 267-301.
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  • P. TESTINI, Il complesso paleocristiano di Cornus (Regione Columbaris) in Sardegna, in Actas del VIII Congreso Internacional de Arqueologia Cristiana (Barcelona, 5-11 octubre 1969), Barcellona 1972, pp. 537-561.
  • P. TESTINI, Il complesso paleocristiano di Cornus: considerazioni e prospettive, in AA.VV., L'archeologia romana e altomedievale nell'Oristanese. Atti del Convegno di Cuglieri (22-23 giugno 1984) = Mediterraneo tardoantico e medievale, Scavi e ricerche, 3, Taranto 1986, pp. 75-81.
  • R. ZUCCA, Gurulis Nova – Cuglieri. Storia di una città dalle origini al secolo XVII, Oristano 2006.

 

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