The original Italian island, whose inhabitants consider themselves a separate people and speak their own language, does not often become the destination of the domestic tourist. Preferring the standard Rimini for a beach holiday and Venice for the cognitively bohemian, the Russian traveler rarely gets to the island Italy, which active and sporty Europeans do not miss. In addition to the perfectly clean sea, comfortable hotels and the possibility of complete unity with nature, Sardinia offers its fans attractions of different properties. When planning what to see in Sardinia, do not forget to include in the excursion program not only nature reserves, but also archaeological parks. It is when examining the ancient ruins that you will understand why the Sardis are so proud of their origin and not too happy when they are called ordinary Italians.
TOP 10 attractions of Sardinia
Cathedral of Cagliari
The administrative capital of Sardinia, Cagliari is an ancient city. It was founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th century. BC NS. Many centuries later, the troops of the Pisa Republic invaded the island, and the Catholic clergy decided to equip a small church in the fortress of Cagliari to their liking. The temple was expanded and partially rebuilt, turning into a cathedral. Later, his Romanesque style was diluted with notes of baroque, brought by the conquerors from Aragon.
Today the cathedral is a famous shrine for local believers and pilgrims from other places. The temple contains the relics of saints, possessing miraculous power, and thorns from the crown of thorns of Jesus.
The architectural features of the temple do not leave indifferent visitors either. Its interior is divided into three naves. In the six side chapels, priceless paintings have been preserved, and the residents of the city managed to preserve the main altar since the time when the church did not yet have a cathedral status.
Roman amphitheater
Despite all the protests of the Sardis against naming them Italians, signs that the island has always remained Italian are everywhere in Sardinia. The existence of the Roman amphitheater also proves that the omnipresent empire in its time reached the most remote outskirts.
The Cagliari amphitheater was built at the turn of the 1st and 2nd centuries. It was carved into the rock, and the reliability of the building material allowed the ancient structure to survive to this day almost perfectly.
The area of the local colosseum is almost 6 hectares, and it accommodated at least 10 thousand spectators. It was used as a temple of art for several centuries, and then, as usual, it was abandoned. Local residents slowly pulled away a monument of ancient architecture as a building material for their homes, while in the 19th century. the city did not undertake its restoration.
The theater now serves as a stage for contemporary concerts and outdoor theater performances.
Cagliari towers
In the XVI century. During the reign of the Pisa Republic, towers were built in Cagliari to observe the surroundings. In those days, the city was constantly threatened from the sea - the Genoese and Saracens alternately.
The architect Giovanni Capula designed and built defensive structures, from where it was convenient to observe the approaches to Cagliari, and, if necessary, they could serve as a fortress. Three towers have survived in the city to this day:
- The Elephant Tower or Torre del Elefante is the most famous of the three. At a height of 10 meters from the ground, it is decorated with the figure of an elephant. During the existence of the Aragonese dynasty, the heads of executed criminals were hung on the elephant tower.
- Its neighbor Torre di San Pancrazio, like the Elephant Tower, is made of white limestone from the Colle di Bonaria hill. In this tower, the condemned were awaiting execution.
- The eagle tower or Torre del Aquila also served as part of the defensive structures. Unlike the other two, it is not in perfect condition and it is not yet possible to climb it.
For those wishing to see Sardinia and Cagliari from above, the city authorities suggest climbing the steep stairs inside Torre del Elefante and Torre Saint Pancrazio. The sights are open daily from 10 am in the summer and from 9 in the winter.
Basilica of San Simplicio
On the opposite side of Sardinia, in the town of Olbia, you can look at one of the oldest landmarks of the island, the Church of Sa Simplicio. It was built in the XI century. on the site of a paleochristian basilica and an even earlier pagan Roman sanctuary.
The main shrine of the temple is the relics of St. Simplikus, found in the 17th century. in the crypt. The interior is still decorated with ancient frescoes depicting him. To the left of the main portal of the basilica, a marble slab has been preserved, on which either a knightly tournament or the Lord's entrance to Jerusalem is represented. Too old, the slab does not allow to see the depicted plot in detail.
The temple looks very austere and its main external decoration is a central triple window, divided by marble columns. A small bell tower was added during the Spanish rule.
St. Paul's Church
Another temple worthy of the attention of a tourist visiting Olbia was erected in the middle of the 15th century. and consecrated in honor of St. Paul. The main difference between the church and the others is the round dome, lined with multicolored tiles on the outside, forming a mosaic geometric pattern. Next to the temple there is a bell tower with a clock - austere with a quadrangular base on the plan.
The temple was rebuilt in the middle of the 18th century, as evidenced by the inscription on the facade. In the last century, St. Paul's Church was also modified, increasing its area and giving it on the plan the shape of a Latin cross, which is traditional for Catholics.
The interiors are decorated with wall paintings and a carved lectern. Some of the decoration items made by the masters of the 17th-18th centuries are worthy of attention and are of considerable value.
Ortobene
A granite hill of almost a kilometer height in Sardinia is often called Mount Ortobene. It becomes a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of believers every year. The reason for the popularity of the mountain is the statue of Jesus Christ, which appeared on the top in 1901. It was then, at the suggestion of Pope Leo XIII, that 19 figures of the Savior were installed throughout the country - according to the number of centuries that have passed since his birth and the emergence of Christianity. The island was not on the list of candidates for her sculpture, but one of the local natives, the writer Grazia Deledda, convinced the pontiff that Sardinia was worthy of accepting the statue.
There is a cycling trail and a walking path on Ortoben. The ascent is not particularly difficult. Most of the pilgrims storm the summit on August 29 during the Feast of the Savior. On Ortoben on this day, a performance of church choirs was organized, raising prayers to the sky.
At the end of the ceremony, guests and hosts descend to Nuoro and take part in an exhibition of agricultural products and a vibrant folklore festival.
Sardinian ziggurat
The largest megalithic object on the island is located near the city of Sassari. It is dated to the second half of the 4th millennium BC. NS. and is associated with representatives of the Ozieri cult, who had a connection with Minoan Crete.
The Sardinian ziggurat is a complex consisting of a necropolis and a sanctuary, several square houses and stone slabs for sacrifices. The so-called "Red Temple" is considered the most grandiose structure of the ziggurat. It is built in the form of a truncated pyramid with a base side equal to 27 m and a height of more than 5 m, topped with a rectangular platform made of stone. All surfaces of the temple were painted with ocher. The second pyramid, located nearby, was connected to the "Red Temple" by a platform, which is about 42 m long.
The complex resembles the ziggurats of Mesopotamia - typical of Sumerian and Babylonian architecture.
National Archaeological Museum
The time frame covered by the exposition of the largest museum in Sardinia allows you to look into the distant past and see how the islanders lived in the Neolithic era, during the existence of Ancient Rome, and during the rule of Byzantium.
The exposition of the museum is built in accordance with the chronology of events or according to the territorial principle, and among the exhibits you can see:
- Ritual objects and adornments of representatives of ancient civilizations who lived in this part of the Mediterranean.
- Coins and pottery from the Roman period.
- Earthenware products from the Punic Wars.
- Bronze sculptures of leaders and warriors made by masters of the Nuragic civilization that existed in Sardinia since the 2nd millennium BC. NS.
- An exhibition of models of the original Sardinian towers called nuragas.
The most famous exhibit of the museum in Cagliari is the statuette of Astarte, who was considered in ancient Phenicia to be the mother of nature and the main female deity.
Nuragi in Barumini
The village of Barumini is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the island. Its main attraction is a mysterious structure called "Nurag", which is a building made of stone with elements of a labyrinth, fortress, dungeon and many other architectural structures. There are several thousand nurags in Sardinia, but the one in Barumini is the largest known.
Nurag is literally riddled with a complex system of passages, wells and branches, and scientists suggest that it could have been a defensive structure of representatives of an ancient civilization that built the object 3, 5 thousand years ago.
Molentargius
The Molentargius Natural Park in the south of the island is well known to European nature lovers. The wetlands are located in the vicinity of Cagliari on an area of 1,600 hectares. The park has ideal conditions for the habitation of hundreds of species of waterfowl and various animals.
At the end of the last century, the reserve was arranged for tourists to visit, and now photographers, naturalists and those who simply want to meditate at dawn, along with flocks of pink flamingos, come to Molentargius.
The park is inhabited by storks and herons, cormorants and ducks. On the paths there is a chance to meet wild rabbits and almost tame hedgehogs, and lovers of cycling and hiking can enjoy several different routes laid through the reserve.
