Medio Campidano

<< Sardinia

Medio Campidano is an area of southwestern Sardinia which includes the central part of the vast plain of Campidano. The area features many small towns and some archaeological sites, and its main centers are Villacidro and Sanluri.

Villacidro

Villacidro is the largest town in Medio Campidano, located at the foot of the mountains. Inhabited since ancient times, it has always been a small regional center.

Waterfalls of Villacidro

The mountains around Villacidro house a few beautiful waterfalls. The most famous is Sa Spendula, a waterfall located just outside the town and a popular tourist destination. Also in the nearby mountains are the Spendula de Piscina Irgas and the Muru Mannu Waterfall (Cascata Muru Mannu).

Guspini

Guspini is a town located at the foot of the mountains in Medio Campidano. The area is best known for its mining activity.

Montevecchio Mine

The Montevecchio Mine (Miniera di Montevecchio) is a mining complex located near Guspini, and one of the oldest mining sites in Italy. The extraction of material here began under the Phoenicians, while the current complex was erected in the 19th century. Now closed, the nearby village is still inhabited, and the site can be visited.

Arbus

Arbus is a town located among the hills that stand to the west of the plain of Campidano. Its territory extends to the nearby coast, which is known for its sandy beaches.

Dunes of Piscinas

The Dunes of Piscinas are a series of sandy dunes located on the beach along the western coast of Sardinia, near Arbus. These are among the largest and tallest dunes in Europe, and the area also features an interesting flora and fauna.

Sanluri

Sanluri is a town located in the middle of the plain of Medio Campidano. The town has been a small regional center since the Late Middle Ages, and houses some historic attractions.

Sanluri Castle

The Sanluri Castle is a medieval castle located in the center of Sanluri. Built in the Late Middle Ages, it was an important fort for centuries, and later became a noble residence. Now it hosts the Duke of Aosta Risorgimento Museum (Museo Risorgimentale Duca d’Aosta), a museum of military history dedicated to the period between the Italian Risorgimento and World War II.

Sardara

Sardara is a small town located northwest of Sanluri in Medio Campidano. The area has been inhabited since ancient times, and the town is now known as an agricultural and thermal center.

Holy Well of Sant’Anastasia

The Holy Well of Sant’Anastasia (Pozzo Sacro di Sant’Anastasia) is a historic site built by the Nuragic civilization in what is now Sardara. Built between the 13th and 12th century BCE, this ancient sanctuary is one of the most notable structures of its kind, and it is surrounded by an archaeological area. The medieval Church of Sant’Anastasia is also nearby.

Villanovaforru

Villanovaforru is a village located just northeast of Sardara in Medio Campidano. A tiny agricultural center, it is best known for the nuraghe located nearby.

Nuraghe Genna Maria

The Nuraghe Genna Maria is a nuragic complex located near Villanovaforru. The complex is located on top of a hill and was built in the Bronze Age. The site features a large central tower, with various adjacent buildings.

Villanovafranca

Villanovafranca is a town located in Medio Campidano, northeast of Sanluri. The tiny town is best known for hosting an ancient nuraghe.

Nuraghe Su Mulinu

The Nuraghe Su Mulinu is an ancient nuragic complex located near Villanovafranca. Built in various phases since around 1800 BCE, the complex is composed of various structures. The site houses the only Nuragic Iron Age altar ever found, which dates from between the 10th and 8th century BCE.

Las Plassas

Las Plassas is a small town located in the countryside of Medio Campidano. A tiny village, it is known for its castle.

Las Plassas Castle

The Las Plassas Castle is a medieval castle located on top of a hill near Las Plassas. Built in the 12th century, it was restored a few times, but it was later abandoned. Now in ruins, the castle can be visited.

Barumini

Barumini is a tiny town in Medio Campidano. Inhabited since prehistoric times, it has always been a small center, but it is now famous for housing the most important nuragic complex of Sardinia.

✪ Su Nuraxi

Su Nuraxi is the most important and well-known nuragic complex of Sardinia, located just outside Barumini. This was a fortified village, with the oldest structures erected in the mid 2nd millennium BCE. The complex was later expanded with several other buildings erected in the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Later abandoned, the site is now the most visited nuragic complex of Sardinia, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Casa Zapata Museum

The Casa Zapata Museum (Museo Casa Zapata) is a museum in Barumini, hosted in a palace erected on top of an ancient nuragic complex. The palace now serves as a museum of archaeology and local history.

Tuili

Tuili is a tiny town located just west of Barumini, and best known for hosting in its territory the Sardegna in Miniatura.

Sardegna in Miniatura

The Sardegna in Miniatura is a miniature park located in the countryside of Tuili, near the Su Nuraxi of Barumini. The park features a miniature version of Sardinia, with models of various famous landmarks. Here are also other attractions, including a park dedicated to dinosaurs.

Gesturi

Gesturi is a tiny town located north of Barumini, best known for the natural environment that surrounds it.

Giara di Gesturi

The Giara di Gesturi is a volcanic plateau that extends west of Gesturi in central Sardinia. The area is famous for its natural environment, and for housing several species of plants and animals, including a horse breed known as Giara horse. The Giara di Gesturi also houses the ruins of a few nuragic complexes.