Oristano, Church of the Maddalena di Silì

It is visible from the provincial road. The site corresponds to a small settlement documented by the judicial age.
The church of La Maddalena, mentioned for the first time in 1336, dates back to the mid-14th century and is interesting because of its Gothic-Italian forms that are still very close to those of the Romanesque tradition.
With a single-wave plan, it was built in medium-sized limestone and volcanic ashlars. The roof of the room is made of wood, while the apse, with a square plan, has a ribbed cross shape. The church is attached to a convent, so the construction of old buildings does not allow the total vision of the original exterior. The façade, the southern side and the apse remain visible, perfectly oriented to E.
The façade is supported by two sturdy corner pilasters, which tridivide it with the two pilasters. The pilasters have a semi-hexagonal section and rise up to the hanging arches. The arched portal, with capitals with plant motifs, is embedded in the central mirror and surmounted by a curved drain arch. In line with the portal, a molded circular oculus opens. The pediment is marked by a marcapiano frame and three-lobed ogival arches are arranged on the sloping slopes.
The S side, heavily restored, is divided into six mirrors surmounted along the entire length by hanging arches. In the third mirror from the façade, an arched portal opens and above, in a higher position, an eyebrow round arch. In the first mirror from the apse, a monophorous light shines light into the room. A large three-lobed window opens in the apse.

History of studies
The church is mentioned by Vittorio Angius (1845), but the first historical-artistic studies are by Dionigi Scano (1907) and Raffaello Delogu (1953), while the most up-to-date record is by Roberto Coroneo (1993).

Bibliography
V. Angius, entry “Oristano”, in G. Casalis, Historical and Statistical Geographical Dictionary of the States by H.M. the King of Sardinia, XIII, Turin, G. Maspero, 1845, p. 299;
D. Scano, History of Art in Sardinia from the 11th to the 14th Century, Cagliari-Sassari, Montorsi, 1907, pp. 323-325;
D. Levi, “Restorations and Purchases of the Royal Superintendence of Sardinia”, in Bullettino d'Arte, XXX, fasc. 6, December 1936, pp. 268 271; R. Delogu, The Architecture of the Middle Ages in Sardinia, Rome, The State Library, 1953, pp. 224-225;
M. Botteri, Guide to the Medieval Churches of Sardinia, Sassari, Chiarella, 1978, pp. 85-86;
R. Coroneo, Romanesque Architecture from the Mid Thousand to the Early '300, series “History of Art in Sardinia”, Nuoro, Ilisso, 1993, sch. 167; R. Coroneo, Romanesque Churches of Sardinia. Cultural tourist itineraries, Cagliari, AV, 2005, p. 75.

How to get there
The church of Santa Maria Maddalena is located about 2 km from Oristano along the SP 55 in the direction of Simaxis and in correspondence with the hamlet of Silì.