Ampurias and Tempio, Diocese of

AMPURIAS AND TEMPIO, Diocese of. - In Sardinia, in the province of Sassari. It embraces the north-eastern territory of the island, roughly comprised within the triangle formed by the Sardinian archipelago and by the gulfs of Terranova and Asinara. It has 76,308 Catholic inhabitants, 30 parishes and 72 diocesan priests. The current administrative arrangement of these two united dioceses is of rather recent date, but their foundation is ancient. The bishop resides in Tempio Pausania.

In this part of Sardinia there existed the bishops of Fausania (end of the 6th century) and of A. (beginning of the 12th century). After A. disappeared owing to the flooding of the Coghinas, Julius II transferred its see to Castelaragonese (Castelsardo) in 1503; three years later he united it to 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 Roman-Tuscan architectural lines still remains. At S. Pietro delle Immagini, where a Benedictine monastery also stood, one admires the church, a jewel of Pisan art; it is in the form of a Latin cross with a tall, slender facade in white and black bands, with small columns, pilasters, capitals and little arches. Perfugas had two Benedictine monasteries: the church of S. Giorgio still survives, with a pointed-arch facade (14th century); the high altar has a magnificent polyptych with a surround of biforate windows, rose windows, small columns and little arches. At Olbia one admires the cathedral of S. Simplicio, in Romanesque forms, of the 11th century.

Camillo Degrandi