Church of San Lussorio

The Church of S. Lussorio is a Romanesque building erected in the early decades of the 12th century, attributed by some scholars to the work of the Monks of Saint Victor in Marseille.

Built on a low hill, it overlooks a square surrounded by “muristenes,” typical monastic dwellings that, over the centuries, also accommodated pilgrims. It stands out for the distinctive variety of colors in the trachyte stone blocks used in its construction and for the architectural interventions that have transformed its original appearance over time.

After a collapse in the 13th century, the southern side was rebuilt, and the original barrel vault was replaced with a double-pitched roof and internal wooden trusses. Another intervention at the end of the 15th century altered its front facade by adding a Gothic-Catalan style portal.

This evocative monument stands approximately two kilometers from the town of Fordongianus, on a Roman cemetery area connected to the ancient center of Forum Traiani, which was the scene of the martyrdom of the saint to whom the building is dedicated. Ancient texts describe Lussorio as an “apparitor,” an officer or employee under the governor of Sardinia, Delfio, who, upon converting to Christianity and getting baptized, went against the law prohibiting the profession of the new belief.

In 304 AD, during the reign of Diocletian, Lussorio was prosecuted in the court of Karales and subsequently taken to Forum Traiani to be beheaded.

Since the mid-5th century, in relation to the spread of the worship devoted to him and the role as the episcopal seat of the city of Forum Traiani, the Basilica with an attached crypt was erected in the same area, providing access to the monumental burial of the martyr.

Over time, two other buildings serving as mausoleums were added, intended to house burials of high-ranking individuals and members of the clergy. These structures, fallen into ruin, were replaced by the current Romanesque building, preserving the original and precious crypt. A side door leads to the fascinating underground pathway, enriched with mosaics and frescoes, narrating centuries of devotion and deeply touching the soul of anyone who crosses its threshold.

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