Rural Church of San Basilio

A place of faith between nature and history, from Roman baths to the Middle Ages

The Church of San Basilio (Saint Basil) is located about three kilometres from Decimoputzu, surrounded by the greenery of a wooded park along the Rio Matta.

This rural church is set within the woodland of San Basilio Park, created through 20th-century reforestation, and offers a welcoming atmosphere where spirituality and history have been intertwined for centuries.

Dalle terme romane alla comunità monastica

The history of the Church of San Basilio has its roots in Roman times. During the restoration works carried out in 1989, the remains of an ancient Roman Imperial bath complex were discovered beneath the floor. It is thought that an early medieval Christian complex was later founded on these remains.

The nearby presence of a well, masonry traces, and a mill known as Su Mobiu de Santu Basibi, used until the 20th century, suggests the existence of a settlement connected to the church. The first documentary reference dates back to 1365, when it was mentioned as the “Iglesia de San Basil” in the villa of Decimo Pupus.

The 17th-century reconstruction

Caduta in rovina, la chiesa fu ricostruita nel 1642. Un atto notarile documenta l’accordo tra il maestro scalpellino Paolo de Andriola e Giovanni Augusto Vacca per riedificare l’edificio aumentando altezza e larghezza, realizzare due portali in pietra e innalzare un campanile.

The Tau-shaped cross

The church has a Tau-shaped floor plan, also known as the cross of Saint Anthony, without the upper arm. Two rectangular spaces intersect through a round arch: the east-west longitudinal nave and the north-south transept.

Tre ingressi permettono l’accesso: due laterali rettangolari e uno sulla facciata ovest con arco a sesto ribassato. Sopra il portale principale si apre un oculo, in origine l’unica fonte di luce. La copertura a due falde è sostenuta da capriate lignee. Il grande portico quadrato ha proporzioni quasi simili a quelle dell’edificio di culto. La copertura è sostenuta da otto pilastri in tufo e dal grande arco d’accesso, sul quale si erge un piccolo campanile a vela.

The sacred furnishings

Inside, the church preserves a stone baptismal font from 1605, with a hexagonal basin and sculpted faces: Saint John the Baptist, Saint Peter, the Eucharistic symbol JHS, crossed bones with a skull, and the inscription “Memento mori”.

The altarpiece depicts Saint Basil in bishop’s robes and the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus, following an iconography in which they are often represented together.

Feast of San Basilio Magno

On the second Sunday of September, Decimoputzu celebrates San Basilio Magno (Saint Basil the Great). The park comes alive with worshippers and visitors taking part in religious celebrations and moments of community gathering.

Visitor information

• Opening hours: The church is generally closed. To arrange a visit, please contact the Municipality of Decimoputzu.


• Recommended period: The second Sunday of September, during the feast.


• Contact us: Unione dei Comuni Monte Idda e Fanaris