Christian Structures

In the ancient city fabric, a baptistery and a church arose in Tharros.

Gallery

The Baptistery and the Church of San Giovanni

In the fifth to sixth centuries C.E., a baptistery was constructed with basalt and reused materials from older buildings. The design was derived from African architecture. The hexagonal baptismal font is flanked by the bases of two columns; this suggests that the basin originally had a canopy above. To the north of the baptistery are a few remaining parts of a small religious building.

The church of San Giovanni was built on the remains of an early Christian basilica from the sixth and seventh centuries C.E. The structure, with its rectangular layout and projecting apse, is made from blocks of spolia (repurposed) sandstone. Revised and expanded in the ninth and tenth centuries, it currently has an early medieval appearance. Inside are three barrel-vaulted naves with a series of arches.

^{Photo credits: Archive of the Mont’e Prama Foundation; photo: Nicola Castangia.}