Erected in the 16th century in the Catalan Gothic style, the original building was modified in the 18th century, with the construction of the transept and octagonal dome. The facade is preceded by a bastioned churchyard, reached by a flight of steps. To the left rises the bell tower, which is a rarity in southern Sardinia because of its octagonal plan. The bell tower of Serramanna has a rather troubled history: erected around the 16th century, it saw the demolition of the two upper orders in 1918, following the danger of collapse caused by damage resulting from the close fall of two lightning strikes. Reconstruction, not completely faithful to the original structure, was carried out only in the 1950s. The simple elevation is enriched by the portal built on the model of the transept portal of Cagliari cathedral. Inside the spire, a trefoil arch contains the niche with the statue of St. Leonard. The lintel is supported by columns with Corinthian capitals, flanked by as many slender half-columns. The interior has a Latin cross plan, with a single nave, side chapels and a rectangular apse. Chapels were added at different times; the oldest (dating to the mid-17th century) is the Chapel of St. Mary or the Blessed Sacrament. The chapel is entered through a triumphal arch, of classical workmanship, framed by two columns, supported by lions. The vault of the chapel is star-vaulted, with ribs discharging onto four corner columns, decorated with a herringbone motif in relief. The gilded wooden altar is from the 17th century. The two marble altars in the transept arms date from 1752 and are adorned with two canvases by Neapolitan Domenico Tonelli depicting the Crucifixion and the Holy Trinity. Also by Tonelli is the canvas, dated 1794, depicting Our Lady of Souls with St. Leonard, St. Ephisius and the Purgatory Souls, placed above the doorway to the sacristy. The chancel houses the Baroque-style high altar, an 18th-century work in polychrome marble. The wooden choir, in the apse, also dates from the 18th century. The organ, built in 1937 by the company “Piras” of Pimentel, was restored by the Piedmontese company Krengli, which specializes in the restoration of antique organs, with the collaboration of Michele Virdis, an organ builder and organologist from Bono. The nave, with wooden roofing, is punctuated by pointed diaphragm arches. The pictorial decoration of the walls and vaults, made between 1954 and 1956, is the work of Giuseppe Carcangiu, an artist from Serramanna. The church has been declared of historical and artistic cultural interest under Art. 10 paragraph 1 of Legislative Decree January 22, 2004, no. 42, “Cultural Heritage and Landscape Code,” and is therefore protected under the provisions of said Code. The protective decree is no. 24 of 21.05.2008, and is therefore subject to the protection of the Superintendence for Architectural and Landscape Heritage of Sardinia.
