San Nicola (Ottana)

San Nicola in Ottana in Sardinia is a former cathedral. Ottana was until 1503 a bishopric. San Nicola was built in the first half of the 12th century, made ​​of black trachyte on the ruins of a Byzantine church.

San Nicola is the only single-nave cathedral Sardinia. The floor plan has the form of Anthony or Taukreuzes and is similar to that of Santa Sarbana in San Giovanni di Sinis or Silanus. While in the low transept vaults form the ceiling, has beamed ceilings carved in the nave wooden consoles.

The Pisan influenced by the local cathedral and Santa Maria del Regno facade with the Stufenrhomben among the blind arches has a twin center window. The side walls with elegant arcades were later imitated in the near Chiesa di San Pietro Zuri. Probably because of a collapse of the building before the year of 1160 have been preserved to the former bell tower from the old building only the façade and the front part of the south wall.

In the left transept the precious polyptych Marianus IV depends The central panel shows St. Francis of Assisi and St. Nicholas of Myra, flanking give two boards in eight pictures important events of their life. The whole is knighted by pediments. The middle shows the feet of the Madonna Bishop Silvester Ottana and the judge Marianus IV of Arborea. On the other pediments Holy Archangel and the Annunciation ( Annunziata) are shown. The eclectic style has an artist who stood between the Florentines and the Sienese Giotto and Maso Martini and Lorenzetti, but retained archaic elements. Man suspected him around by Francesco Traini, Trionfo della Morte creator of the ( Todesallegorie ) or in the circle of the Tuscan painter at the court of Anjou in Naples (maybe it was Pietro Orimma ).