It is as if the mistral wind, which blows regularly here, had forged and smoothed all its corners which now follow the sinuous movement of the waves of the Marina overlooking us.
It is the structure of the church of Stella Maris, in Porto Cervo, white and without even a single edge, so unique in its kind and so visited and appreciated by tourists from all over the world, not necessarily of Christian faith.
An authentic symbol of Porto Cervo and the Costa Smeralda, the church was designed by Michele Busiri Vici, one of the four architects involved in the construction of one of the most exclusive and sought-after destinations in the world.
The building was built in the 1960s on land that was donated to the local Christian community by Prince Karim Aga Khan, religious leader of the Ismaili Muslims, who with his gesture wanted to symbolize the love for this area of Sardinia in which his dream of the Costa Smeralda was being born.
No corners or edges are present in the church, no straight and clear lines, only curved walls, welcoming like a hug, the imaginary one that Busiri Vici wanted to make as a symbol of welcome.
A true jewel of Mediterranean architecture, in which the white of the walls is contrasted by the intense color of the juniper wood of which the internal beams of the roof and all the simple furnishings are made, such as the benches that welcome the faithful in prayer.
A bronze door created by the artist Luciano Minguzzi, one of the most prestigious sculptors in the Italian artistic scene, opens, letting out an intense scent of juniper wood from the church, so characteristic and evocative that it remains imprinted in the memories of visitors.
Your feet rest on a floor composed of a mosaic of Gallura granite discs, light and with unmistakable streaks.
Before the eyes of the faithful, the imposing structure of the pipe organ dating back to the 17th century and the painting of the Mater Dolorosa, attributed to El Greco, one of the most important painters of the late Renaissance, donated to the church by the Belgian ambassador.
Outside there is a portico supported by almost rough granite monilites and with the presence of some sculptures by the Sardinian artist Pinuccio Sciola.
The church of Stella Maris, inaugurated in 1968, contains the entire cosmopolitan vision of the Aga Khan, which permeated his Costa Smeralda.
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