Cagliari and South-East · Città metropolitana di Cagliari

Things to do in Villasor

Things to do in Villasor, Sardinia: the Alagon family's Castello Siviller, San Biagio church, Su Sonadori nuraghe, festivals and day trips.

Villasor, Sardegna — © Nicola Secci · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Villasor is a large farming town in the heart of the Campidano di Cagliari, about 25 km from Cagliari, on a fertile plain watered by the Flumini Mannu. For centuries it was the seat of the Alagon marquises, powerful Spanish feudal lords, and it still has their most visible legacy: Castello Siviller, one of the few 15th-century fortified residences left in Sardinia. It's an ideal stop for history buffs, fans of Catalan Gothic architecture and anyone exploring the Campidano, and it's easy to reach by train.

What to see in Villasor

Castello Siviller

Built in 1415 by the feudal lord Giovanni Siviller on the ruins of the Byzantine church of Santa Maria di Gippi, it was meant to defend against raids by rebels from Arborea. Also known as the "fortified house of the Alagon", it belonged to that family until 1839. It has a two-storey U-shaped plan, Catalan Gothic windows and Guelph battlements. Over time it served as barracks, prison, school and farm storehouse; today it hosts exhibitions and conferences.

Parish church of San Biagio

Next to the castle, in Catalan Gothic style, it was modelled on the church of San Giacomo in Cagliari. It has three naves, an octagonal dome, a marble balustrade supported by lions, a Baroque altar and an 18th-century statue of St Ephisius.

Sant'Antioco and the former Capuchin convent

The church of Sant'Antioco holds a baptismal font from 1743, two inlaid wooden altars and a Byzantine marble with a lion and a bull. The former Capuchin convent, founded in 1630, now houses the library. On the outskirts stands the late-19th-century church of Santa Vitalia.

Su Sonadori Nuragic complex

About 12 km from town, at s'Acqua Cotta, is a Bronze Age complex nuraghe with a central tower about 10 metres across, a bastion of six structures linked by walls and the remains of a village. A thermal spring rises nearby.

Things to do in Villasor

Visit the castle and the churches in the centre, take a trip to Su Sonadori and the s'Acqua Cotta spring, or cycle through flat countryside among wheat fields and artichokes: Villasor is best enjoyed at a gentle pace. It's also a handy base for nearby villages, from San Sperate to Monastir. Discover the experiences offered by local operators just below.

History

The area was inhabited in the Nuragic age; in Roman times there were necropolises, a bridge at Ponti Perda and a small settlement by the s'Acqua Cotta spring. In the Middle Ages the village of Sorres was the main town of a district of the Giudicato (medieval kingdom) of Cagliari; it then passed to Pisa and, from 1324, to the Aragonese. In 1537 Emperor Charles V created the county of Villasor for Biagio Alagon, raised to a marquisate in 1594. The town's militia cavalry helped defend Cagliari from the French attack of 1793. In 1839, with the end of feudalism, Villasor became a municipality.

Food and local products

Villasor is one of southern Sardinia's main farming towns, known for cereals and, in the past, sugar beet; its coat of arms shows ears of wheat and artichokes. The cooking is classic Campidano: semolina bread, seasonal vegetables, soups and traditional sweets.

Festivals and traditions

San Biagio: the patron saint's feast, in early February.
Sant'Antioco: shortly after Easter.
Santa Vitalia: mid-October, the community's most heartfelt festival.

Nearby

San Sperate: murals and Pinuccio Sciola's Sound Garden.
Decimoputzu: the church of San Giorgio.
Monastir: the Nuragic sanctuary of Monte Zara.
Villaspeciosa: San Platano and the San Cromazio mosaic.

Getting there and when to go

Villasor has a station on the Cagliari-Oristano railway and is served by the SS 196 road. Cagliari-Elmas airport is about 25 minutes away by car, the port of Cagliari about half an hour. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons; come in mid-October for the feast of Santa Vitalia.