Le volte tardogotiche dipinte nelle chiese sarde

During the study of the late-Gothic architecture in the island, in particular of the churches of the smaller towns, we noted that in many buildings the ribbed vaults of the presbytery or of the side chapels presented a painted decoration. These paintings probably wasn’t realized at the same times of the church, in fact the decoration of vaults was not usual in Gothic architecture. The vaults were generally in stone without plaster. The practice to paint the vaults has spread later times, when were a change in architectural taste. During the Spanish epoch there was a vast architectural production in the Sardinian territory. Especially in smaller towns it is unlikely to think that religious building could be reconstructed or renewed on its structure to change the main character of the construction, maybe because of high costs. So it is probably that the builders of the time have "modernized" existing buildings through the use of color by painting some parts of it, according to their taste. The earliest traces of this practice are found in vault of capilla mayor in the church of Nostra Signora d’Itria in Orani which is dated 1678. This practice is spreading through the region in various forms over time and continues until the first decades of the twentieth century. The study aims to define a scientific base of knowledge for the future restoration projects, that at the moment doesn’t exist. The analysis concerns the identification of decorative types, geographic distribution, the techniques used and the most common colors. We take several examples, including the churches of Santa Croce in Mamoiada, San Pietro in Nuraminis, San Sperate in the same village, where paintings adorn the intrados of the vault. In some cases, as in San Giorgio in Ovodda, there is an insert of stucco to complete the ornament painting decoration. In other cases the ribs and the gems are painted as in Sant’Antonio Abate in Decimomannu or in Vergine Assunta in Villaspeciosa. Often the decorative elements and color are used to give greater depth to the vault and make it look so higher. Painting becomes an architectural element and the use of color takes on new meaning merely functiona