Luogosanto, Church of San Trano

The hermitage is isolated in a high granite plateau. From the site of San Trano you can enjoy a panorama that on clear days can reach as far as the coast of Corsica.
According to the hagiographic tradition, in the 4th century Saints Trano and Nicolò, owners of the hermitage in the countryside of Luogosanto, decided to retire to ravines and granite caves. Their bodies were recovered in 1227 in the place where the church was later erected, on top of an impressive granite boulder.
The church is extremely simple, with a single room, in internally plastered granite, with wooden truss roofing. In the small environment, a small cave stands out, the one where the two saints found shelter, below which there is an altar carved from a stone block.

History of studies
The entry “Gallura” edited by Vittorio Angius for the Casalis Dictionary is also an important source for the Gallura area. For the history of Luogosanto, reference can be made to some studies, including that of Antonio Murineddu, in 1962, and the most recent one by Mario Scampuddu, in 1996.

Bibliography
V. Angius, “Gallura”, in G. Casalis, Historical, Statistical and Commercial Geographical Dictionary of the States by H.M. the King of Sardinia, VII, Turin, G. Maspero, 1840, pp. 41-196;
A. Murineddu, “Holy Place”, in Gallura: Historical, Geographical and Economic Aspects, Cagliari, 1962, pp. 244-252; M. Scampuddu, Pays de Gallura: Luogosanto: History and Images, Sassari, 1996.

How to get there
To reach Luogosanto, take the SS 133 from Tempio Pausania towards Palau. At km 22 there is the junction for the town, reachable after a few kilometers. A short distance from the town along the road to Arzachena, there is the detour that leads to the hermitage dedicated to San Trano on the road to Arzachena.