Marmilla and Sarcidano · Città metropolitana di Cagliari

Things to do in Gergei

Gergei, Sardinia's village of good olive oil: San Vito church, Santa Greca, nuraghi and rock tombs, mallocria oil and a living nativity.

Gergei, Sardegna — © Piantisergio · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Gergei, Xrexrei in Sardinian, is a farming village of about a thousand people in south-central Sardinia, just over an hour's drive from Cagliari. It lies in a valley closed to the north by the Giara di Serri plateau and Monte Trempu, with fertile hills to the south and east and the Rio Mannu to the west. It is known as the village of good olive oil, thanks to the local mallocria olive variety. Visit for the late Gothic church of San Vito, the Nuragic sites and the nearby sanctuary of Santa Vittoria di Serri: ideal for lovers of archaeology, food and peaceful villages.

What to see in Gergei

The church of San Vito

The 16th-century parish church is late Gothic, with a doorway topped by a rose window. Inside is a sculpture group of the dead Christ with the Virgin and saints, and a 16th-century retable dedicated to Santa Maria.

The church of Santa Greca

Founded in 1328 and remodelled in late Gothic style in the 16th century, it is one of the village's oldest buildings.

Nuraghi and domus de janas

The domus de janas, tombs cut into the rock, show that people came here as far back as the Neolithic. In the Nuragic age two villages grew up around the Santu Perdu and Santa Maria nuraghi and were lived in until the Middle Ages; local tradition says their people founded the first core of Gergei. The area also has Roman-era tombs.

Things to do in Gergei

The olive groves and hills around the village are perfect for walks and bike rides, with the Giara di Serri in the background. In autumn, at harvest time, you can see how mallocria oil is made and taste it freshly pressed. The village is also a handy base for the great Nuragic sites of the Sarcidano and Marmilla. Take a look at the experiences offered by local operators just below.

History

The area was inhabited from the Neolithic, then in the Nuragic and Roman eras. In the Middle Ages Gergei belonged to the Siurgus district in the Judicate of Cagliari; after 1258 it came under Pisa and then the Aragonese, who granted it to the Carroz family. In the second half of the 14th century it briefly returned to the Judicate of Arborea, but in 1404 it passed definitively to the Crown of Aragon. Joined to the marquisate, later dukedom, of Mandas, it was bought out in 1839.

Food and local products

The signature product is extra virgin olive oil from the mallocria cultivar, and Gergei belongs to Italy's Città dell'Olio (Olive Oil Towns) association. Grain and sheep farming are also important, so homemade bread, cheese and meat are always on the table. A bottle of local oil is the most authentic souvenir.

Festivals and traditions

Gergei is known for its living nativity scene, which at Christmas turns the village into a large, lively stage. Through the year the village celebrates religious feasts linked to its churches, starting with that of the patron saint San Vito.

Nearby

Serri and the Nuragic sanctuary of Santa Vittoria on its plateau.
Escolca and the abandoned hamlet of San Simone.
Isili, with the Is Paras nuraghe, Lake San Sebastiano and the copper and textile museum.
Mandas, with San Giacomo church and the Is Lollas museum.
Giara di Gesturi, home of the wild ponies.

Getting there and when to go

The nearest airport and port are in Cagliari, just over an hour away: head north through the Trexenta to Mandas, then on to Gergei. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, autumn also for the olive harvest; in December the living nativity is a good reason to come back.