The church of Stella Maris, which overlooks the marina of Porto Cervo from above, is not only a place of worship but also a masterpiece of modern holy art. It was designed in the 1960s by the architect Michele Busiri Vici and was built on land donated by Prince Aga Khan Karim. On the 12 September 1965, the first stone was laid, and the building was completed and opened in 1968, in the presence of the bishop Mons. Giovanni Melis and the parish priest Don Raimondo Fresi.
The white church has smooth lines in perfect harmony with the Costa Smeralda and is enriched with a conical shaped bell tower. A small ornate cupola with turquoise majolica reflects the sea’s crystal-clear colour. The main facade has a portico held up by six granite monoliths carved by the wind. Worshippers are welcomed by a statue of Pope John Paul II, the work of the famous Sardinian sculptor Pinuccio Sciola standing to the side of the imposing bronze entrance by the artist Luciano Minguzzi.
The church houses important works of art like the Mater Dolorosa painted by El Greco and donated by Baroness Bentinck. A pipe organ dating from the end of the 1600s donated to the church in 1975 by Mimmi Costa sits on a wide balcony above the entrance. This antique musical instrument with about 200 pipes and original keyboard in bone and ebony was the work of the De Martino brothers from Naples. A wooden sculpture of Christ dating from the 1700s sits on the altar, together with the ambon by the craftsman, Vangi.
