AMPURIAS AND TEMPIO, diocese of. — In Sardinia, in the province of Sassari. It embraces the north-eastern territory of the island, approximately contained within the triangle formed by the Sardinian archipelago and the gulfs of Terranova and Asinara. It has 76,308 Catholic inhabitants, 30 parishes, and 72 diocesan priests. The present administrative arrangement of these two united dioceses is relatively recent, but their foundation is ancient. The bishop resides in Tempio Pausania.
In this part of Sardinia there were the bishops of Fausania (end of the 6th century) and of A. (beginning of the 12th century). After A. disappeared through the flooding of the Coghinas, Julius II transferred its see to Castelaragonese (Castelsardo) in 1503; three years later he united it with Fausania (Pausania, Civita, Olbia). When T. became a city, Gregory XVI suppressed the cathedral of Civita and founded that of T., decreeing that the bishop of the two dioceses should bear the title of A. and T.
Among the artistic monuments of the diocese, at Tergu, where there was a Benedictine monastery, the beautiful Pisan church (11th century), with Romano-Tuscan architectural lines, still remains. At S. Pietro delle Immagini, where a Benedictine monastery also stood, one may admire the church, a jewel of Pisan art; it is in the form of a Latin cross, with a tall, slender façade in white and black layers, with small columns, pilasters, capitals, and little arches. Perfugas had two Benedictine monasteries: the church of S. Giorgio, with a pointed-arch façade (14th century), is still preserved; the high altar has a magnificent altarpiece with a frame of twin windows, rosettes, small columns, and little arches. At Olbia one may admire the cathedral of S. Simplicio, in Romanesque forms, from the 11th century.