The country church of Santa Maria de Montserrat, recognized in 1999 as a Shrine by Bishop Ottorino Alberti of Cagliari, has very ancient origins, probably predating the year 1000.
It is in fact mentioned as Santa Maria di Gippi among the property donated in 1089 by Judge Constantine to the Benedictine monks of San Vittore.
Located next to the ancient bed of the Leni stream and surrounded by dense vegetation, the locality has hosted human settlements since the earliest times, as evidenced by the numerous archaeological finds, dating back to the Nuragic and Phoenician periods, found throughout the surrounding area.
The church has a Romanesque-style façade accompanied by a segmental-arched portal and topped by a bell gable, on which in turn rests a beautiful stone cross.
The interior, with a single nave, appears to have no apse and a wooden-beamed roof.
The marble altar of recent make, inside a gilded niche, holds an ancient wooden statue of the simulacrum of the Madonna, reworked around the 17th-18th centuries for ritual needs.
Worthy of attention are the furnishings of the same altar: six gold-minted wooden candelabra and the Carte Gloria with hand-colored engravings.
Also of note is the presence of the wooden box used in times past by the janitor of the little church, called “s’eremitanu” (the hermit), to travel to the village to collect offerings from the faithful.
Outside, an elegant portico, built in the 19th century, can be seen surrounding the structure for most of its perimeter.
The restoration of the building, carried out in several stages from 1999 to 2013 by Serramannese architect Lucio Ortu and carried out using materials and techniques respectful of the structure’s specificities, has made it possible to preserve and enhance a sacred place that holds a special place in the hearts of all Serramannese.
The church, since 2008, has been under the protection of the Superintendence for Architectural and Landscape Heritage of Sardinia.
