Massama, Oratory of Souls

The toponym Marsima, documented from 1357-59, derives from the location of the town along the “via maxima” active in Roman times between Tharros and Forum Traiani (today Fordongianus). The early medieval origin of the church is suspected, in addition to some of its architectural features, by the ancient dedication to Saint Nicholas, bishop of Mira.
The Oratory of the Souls in Massama is a small cruciform building, interesting as an example of a minor monument to the architectural history of medieval Sardinia. Its structure could date back to the early medieval period, while the subsequent interventions are from the Romanesque period (first half of the 13th century).
The building, in limestone and volcanic stone, has a cruciform plan. The E arm is replaced by a wide apse, characterized by a “horseshoe” profile both in the plan and in the raised position. At the intersection of the arms, an octagonal tiburium rises, which almost completely hides the dome.
The sloping façade has a smooth wall without windows or projecting parts; the only interruption in the masonry in medium-sized sandstone and basalt ashlars is represented by the access portal, characterized by extreme simplicity.
Just above the portal you can see a row of sandstone ashlars in which the seats for the ceramic basins have been dug. A ceramic basin that was lost was in the fifth canton, above the row of four in line with the portal and the overlying bell tower of the sailing type. Despite the plaster, it is easy to see that the bell tower is not made of the same material as the façade, but in fired bricks, a fact that suggests that it is an addition.

History of studies
The church, practically unknown before the seventies of the last century, was published by Renata Serra, who included it in the group of small cruciform buildings in early medieval Sardinia, identifying typical styles of Hispanic architecture from the Visigothic age. Subsequently, Roberto Coroneo focused his attention on structures dating back to the judicial age.

Bibliography
V. Angius, “Massama”, in G. Casalis, Historical-Statistical-Commercial Geographical Dictionary of the States by H.M. the King of Sardinia, X, Turin, G. Maspero, 1842, pp. 375-385;
R. Serra, “The Oratory of Souls in Massama (with reliefs of the monument edited by Augusto Garau)”, in Annals of the Faculties of Letters, Philosophy and Magisterium of the University of Cagliari, XXXIV, 1971, pp. 33-55; R. Coroneo, Romanesque Architecture from the mid-thousand to the early 1900s, They, Ilisso, 1993, sheet 103;
R. Coroneo, Romanesque Churches of Sardinia. Tourist-cultural itineraries, Cagliari, AV, 2005, p. 76.