Villacidro

Villacidro is a town at the foot of the Monte Linas massif, in the western part of the Medio Campidano. Surrounded by mountains, woods, streams and waterfalls, it is one of the greenest towns in southern Sardinia, and since the 19th century it has fascinated travellers and writers: Gabriele D'Annunzio was struck by the Sa Spendula waterfall, and the writer Giuseppe Dessì, who spent his childhood here, made Villacidro a literary place through his novels. From 2005 to 2016 it shared with Sanluri the role of capital of the province of Medio Campidano.

History

The area was inhabited in the Nuragic age, as remains of nuraghi and villages on the hills show, and in Roman times the Linas valleys were exploited for metals. In the Middle Ages Villacidro belonged to the Giudicato of Cagliari and then passed to the Pisans and the Aragonese. In the Spanish and Savoy periods it was a prosperous farming centre, with vegetable gardens, orchards and olive groves watered by the Linas springs. In the 19th and 20th centuries bourgeois families and intellectuals lived here, and the town grew with farming and, after the war, an industrial area.

The town

The old centre keeps Campidano houses with courtyards and gateways, and small squares. The parish church of Santa Barbara, of 16th century origin, dominates the centre with its bell tower. In town stands the 19th century public wash house, an elegant building with neoclassical columns, where women washed clothes in spring water. The Giuseppe Dessì Foundation remembers the writer and his work; every year the Giuseppe Dessì Literary Prize brings authors from all over Italy to Villacidro.

The town of the cogas

Villacidro is also known as the town of witches, the cogas of Sardinian folk tradition. Legends tell of women able to turn into animals and cast spells, and the town has made this tradition part of its identity, with stories, events and murals.

Monte Linas and the waterfalls

Behind the town rises Monte Linas, one of the highest and wildest massifs in southern Sardinia, with Punta Perda de Sa Mesa over 1,200 metres. It is rich in holm oak woods, streams, gorges and waterfalls. The most famous is Sa Spendula, a few minutes from town, a series of cascades between rocks, very evocative in spring and winter after the rains. Higher up is the Muru Mannu waterfall, tens of metres high, among the most spectacular on the island, reached by a trail. In the Linas you can hike and mountain bike, and Sardinian deer and mouflon live in the woods.

Festivals

The most heartfelt festival is that of San Sisinnio, in August, at the country church dedicated to the saint, with procession, horsemen, traditional costumes and a popular fair. The town's religious feasts, such as that of Santa Barbara, and the Sant'Antonio bonfires in January, mark the calendar. In summer there are also cultural events linked to the Dessì Prize.

Food and produce

Villacidro is famous for Villacidro liqueur, made with saffron and aromatic herbs, bright yellow, drunk as a digestif. The cooking is that of the Campidano: bread, malloreddus, culurgiones, roast meats, cheese, olive oil from the surrounding orchards, citrus and vegetables. Sweets include pardulas, amaretti and tiliccas.

Getting there

Villacidro is about 50 minutes from Cagliari and 15 minutes from the Carlo Felice highway. It is close to San Gavino Monreale, with its railway station and saffron fields, Sanluri and Guspini. From here you can also reach the Costa Verde, with the Piscinas dunes, and the Montevecchio mines.

What to see

• Waterfall of Sa Spendula
• Mount Linas
• Waterfall of Piscina Irgas
• Santuario nuragico di Matzanni
• Lavatoio

Festivals and traditions

• Sagra delle ciliegie, fine maggioMay
• San Sisinnio, prima domenica di agostoAugust

Nearby towns

• Gonnosfanadiga · 7 km
• San Gavino Monreale · 12 km
• Vallermosa · 12 km
• Guspini · 13 km
• Arbus · 14 km
• Samassi · 15 km
• Pabillonis · 16 km
• Domusnovas · 16 km

Sources: Grande Enciclopedia della Sardegna; ISTAT. Original texts by Gotosardinia.