Museo Diocesano d’Arte Sacra

Alghero


This museum of religious art, in the former Oratorio del Rosario, houses religious artefacts from the Cattedrale di Santa Maria, including silverware, statuary, paintings and woodcarvings. Look out for the ghoulish reliquary of what is claimed to be one of the innocenti (newborn babies slaughtered by Herod in his search for the Christ child). The tiny skull is chilling, but apparently it appealed to Alghero artist Francesco Pinna, who was given it by a Roman cardinal in the 16th century.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Alghero attractions

1. Cattedrale di Santa Maria

0.02 MILES

Overlooking Piazza Duomo, Alghero’s oversized Cattedrale di Santa Maria appears out of place with its pompous neoclassical facade and fat Doric columns…

2. Campanile

0.03 MILES

Rising above the historic centre, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria's 16th-century campanile is one of Alghero's signature landmarks. The tower, accessible…

3. Porta a Mare

0.04 MILES

This gateway, one of two entrances to the medieval city, links Piazza Civica with the marina, passing through the city walls.

4. Piazza Civica

0.04 MILES

Just inside Porta a Mare, Piazza Civica is Alghero’s showcase square. In a former life it was the administrative heart of the medieval city, but where…

5. Palazzo d'Albis

0.05 MILES

Overlooking Piazza Civica, this Gothic palace was the governor's residence and famously hosted the Spanish emperor Charles V in 1541. It's now home to the…

6. Chiesa di San Francesco

0.08 MILES

Alghero's finest church is a model of architectural harmony. Originally built to a Catalan Gothic design in the 14th century, it was later given a…

7. Torre della Maddalena

0.08 MILES

Also known as the Torre di Garibaldi, this tower was incorporated into the Forte della Maddalena in the late 16th century.

8. Forte della Maddalena

0.09 MILES

To the north of the old town, the Forte della Maddalena is the sole survivor of three forts built at the end of the 16th century to bolster the city's…