Church of Valverde
The church of Valverde is found at the center of the square of Palu Virde, in the area of Ploaghe called Quirriu de Santu Valentinu[i] at the end of XVI century.
The church, with the name of Santu Valentinu, is mentioned on 25th March 1625 in the will of Nigola Pinna Soliveras (Spanedda, 1989).
Probably was already ruined at the end of XVIII century, as it results from the 1824 relation by vicar Devilla (Spanedda, 1989).
In 1836, the building was restored and dedicated to Madonna of Valverde with the contribution of the contribution of catechist Maddalena Lei who, on that occasion, gave the church a painting of the Holy Virgin, and of rector Salvatore Cossu (Spanedda, 1989).
In the following thirty years, the church was used as girls’ school. This report can be found in the “Master Book” of the Town expenses for 1864, where we get to know that, on that occasion, they repaired the church roof too: spese di riparazione alle volte della chiesa di Valverde adattata ad uso di scuola femminile, somma 250,00[ii].
In the years 1865-1866 the old stairs were demolished, and a new staircase was built using squared stones, as it can be read from the “Magliona File”, the test of the works performed by master Gavino Magliona to pave with stones the strada Lunga (now Roma street) and four traverse conducenti allo stradone[iii], and other bettering works in the town of Ploaghe. Detailed information about the first architectural structure can be found inside the report by the Engineer from Surveyor’s Department that was sent to Ploaghe in order to see the church of Valverde. This information comes from a letter the Prefect of Sassari sent to Ploaghe Mayor and dated 12th November 1902. Because of its importance, we are going to write down the entire document, found in Ploaghe historical archive.
La chiesa di Valverde, costruita circa duecento anni fa, è sita in piazza quasi nel centro del paese, vi si accede dalla strada che dalla stazione ferroviaria conduce all’abitato, a mezzo di un vicolo detto anche di Valverde. I muri laterali, costruiti in muratura ordinaria, rinforzati forse all’epoca della costruzione stessa con speroni della stessa muratura, hanno subito una rotazione in modo che l’estremo superiore esce di circa 40 centimetri fuori dal punto della base ed è distaccato quasi completamente dal muro frontale che forma il prospetto della chiesa. Le singole pietre sono tutte dissestate e presentano schiacciamento e lesioni per cedimenti in vari punti. Degli speroni alcuni non esistono più ed altri non sono che un avanzo di pietre senza alcuna connessione tra di loro. Il nuovo frontale, costruito in cantoni di tufo calcareo (pietra locale) è il meglio conservato, ma presenta vari dissesti ed un’inclinazione nei filari di cantoni dovuta a cedimenti di fondazione e schiacciamento parziale della muratura anteriore, che forma il primo strato per un’altezza di 90 centimetri sul quale poggiano le file dei cantoni. Nell’interno la volta centrale ed il tetto sono sprofondati, trascinando nella caduta un perno di collegamento dei due muri laterali. Le due volte posteriori ed anteriori a crociera presentano lesioni in tutti i sensi e rilassamenti dovuti in parte alla rotazione dei due muri laterali e in parte alla vetustà della costruzione o piuttosto alla poca accuratezza della medesima ed alla mancata manutenzione. E se la volta anteriore regge ancora, ciò è dovuto specialmente ad un altro perno di collegamento che però, stando esposto alle intemperie, è già quasi distrutto eroso dalla ruggine e potrebbe spezzarsi da un momento all’altro. I pilastri interni ed in generale tutta la muratura è in sfacelo e perciò si è del parere che la chiesa debba essere prontamente e completamente demolita se si voglia evitare disgrazie che facilmente potrebbero accadere per una ben che minima causa accidentale e che frattanto si impedisca il tramite per la detta piazza e le case adiacenti siano fatte sgombrare sino a che non siano compiute le demolizioni le quali dovrebbero incominciare le parti più importanti. La spesa per la demolizione potrà aggirarsi intorno alle L. 700. La SV, pertanto, valendosi dei poteri conferiti… faccia immediatamente iniziare i lavori[iv]… .
Thus Mayor doctor Toma Satta was fast in demolishing the church. In the historical archive is still kept a declaration by master bricklayer Manunta Giuseppe Luigi from Ploaghe, dated 15th December 1902, who, for a sum of 457, had to demolish the roof, the vaults and the walls down to the basements of the building of the Church of Valverde in stato rovinoso e minacciante pericolo[v]. The master, besides, granted the conveyance of the rottami al pubblico gettito Sa Pedraia, … le tegole che si leveranno dal tetto di essa chiesa al cortile del Convento… e di ammettere al lavoro tutti i muratori del paese[vi]. The works had to be completed within a month from the day this declaration was signed. Thus we suppose that by January, 1903, the church must have been already demolished. Its structure, as it is now, was built again only in the thirties of twentieth century thanks to the contribution by mister Baingio Camboni.
[i] Palu Virde: Green Pole; Quirriu de Santu Valentinu: District of Saint Valentine
[ii] Expenses to repair the roof of the church of Valverde used as girls’ school, sum 250,00
[iii] side streets leading to the main street
[iv] The church of Valverde, built about two hundred years ago, is set in a square almost at the centre of the town, you can arrive to it through the road which from the railway station leads to the town, taking a lane called Valverde. The side walls, built in ordinary walling, maybe strengthened at the time when the church was built, with abutments of the same walling, have rotated so that the upper edge is about 40 centimetres out of the basement line, and almost completely detached from the front perimeter wall. The single block are all disarranged and crushed and ruined because of several points of subsidence. Some of the abutments have completely crumbled and some others are nothing but a row of stones with no conjunction between them. The new front wall, built with blocks of limestone tufa (local stone), is the best conserved one, but is ruining in several points and the block rows are tilting due to the basement subsidence and the partial crushing of the previous walling, which makes the first layer, for a height of 90 centimetres, upon which the block rows lie. In the inner part, the central vault and the roof have collapsed halfway, dragging along them a joint linking the two side walls. The front and back vaults show damages in every sense and collapses due partially to the rotation of the two side walls and partially to its antiquity or, more likely, to the scarce skill in building it and the poor maintenance done on it. And if the front vault is still there, it is especially due to another linking joint, which, though, already is almost destroyed by the rust caused by bad weather and could break at any time. The inner pillars and all the walling is crumbling, thus, if you want to avoid accidents which could easily happen for any accidental event, you should forbid people to cross the square and clear the near houses until you are over with the demolition, which should start from the most unsafe parts. The expense for this demolition might be about 700 liras. So you, using the powers given you… have immediately the works started… .
[v] in a crushing and menacing hazard state.
[vi] scraps to the public dump Sa Pedraia, … the tiles which will be taken off that church to the Monastery courtyard… and admit every bricklayer in town to the works.