Antica chiesa delle Grazie

Discover

About this place

The church is located in the Seuna district, which together with that of San Pietro gave rise to the historic center of Nuoro. The history of the church of the Grazie begins with this official act, a building that is considered among the most important in the city of Nuoro. For almost two hundred years the building, despite various events, was always a vital point of reference for the city. At the beginning of the twentieth century, due to the significant demographic increase, the Josephite Fathers expressed their desire to build a larger building. The church is made of irregularly sized stones bonded with lime mortar. The structural scheme is very simple: single-nave barrel-vaulted hall, square, narrow and raised presbytery, three altars on each side which replace the chapels. A double serrated and strongly projecting frame runs along the entire nave, recalling typical characteristics of Jesuit architecture. The popular connotation of the church is particularly evident in the façade overlooking Via delle Grazie, characterized by loggias that interrupt and lighten the massive volume of the building. The paintings occupy the entire surface of the walls, the vault and the large arch that separates the presbytery from the hall. They are characterized by a synthetic and popular style, with which a catechetical project is expressed also through a careful choice of the color range. Few colors are used: green, red, ocher, which, repeating and alternating in the pictorial cycle and in the frames, harmonize well with the elements already present. The stylistic link with Are's painting appears evident, based on the comparison between the tempera paintings of Nuoro and those of Orani, Fonni, Tonara. The affinities between the cycles can be seen both in the spatial and compositional setting, and in the chromatic choice, and in the habit of often using cartouches with a didactic function.