Bosa, Church of San Giovanni al Cimitero

The town of Bosa stretches along the banks of the Temo river, climbing with the houses along the slope of the hill at the top of which the castle of Serravalle was built. The original nucleus of the city was always located along the Temo, but further inland, on the site of the church of San Pietro extra Muros. The church of San Giovanni al Cimitero is located in the Sa Costa district, on the slopes of the Serravalle hill, in a neighborhood that has preserved significant traces of the medieval period.
The church of San Giovanni al Cimitero in its current forms would be the result of the expansion of an older church, perhaps from the 12th century. Today it has a single room, whose space is animated by small chapels in the side walls. On the d. side of the aisle, the fragments of an almost illegible pictorial cycle, hypothetically dating back to the 14th century, have come to light.
The apse, with a rectangular plan, is raised above the classroom and has a barrel roof. The façade is basic, sloping surmounted by a small bell tower, and has an arched molded portal, surmounted by a rose window. Even the façade, like the paintings in the first bay of the church, should date back to the 14th century.

History
of studies The town and the church of San Giovanni al Cimitero is mentioned in the entry “Bosa” by Vittorio Angius, in the “Dictionary” edited by Goffredo Casalis in 1851, followed by “Bosa vetus”, in 1878, by Giovanni Spano; the most recent volume “The Churches of Bosa”, from 1978, with contributions from various authors, followed by the work of Antonio Francesco Spada (2002), with news about the church.

Bibliography
V. Angius, “Bosa”, in G. Casalis, Historical, Statistical and Commercial Geographical Dictionary of the States by H.M. the King of Sardinia, II, Turin, G. Maspero, 1834, pp. 526-541;
G. Spano, Bosa vetus, Bosa, 1878; The Churches of Bosa, Cagliari, 1978, pp. 92-93; A.F. Spada, Churches and Festivals of Bosa, Sestu, 2002.