Marmilla and Sarcidano · Provincia di Oristano

Things to do in Masullas

Things to do in Masullas, Sardinia: medieval churches, the GeoMuseo, Monte Arci obsidian trails, local food and festivals in the Marmilla hills.

Masullas, Sardegna — © Gianni Atzeni · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

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Masullas is a village of around a thousand people in Alta Marmilla, in the province of Oristano, its stone houses spread across a hillside at the foot of Monte Arci. For such a small place it packs a lot in: medieval churches, two unusual museums and a volcanic landscape full of history. It belongs to the Borghi Autentici d'Italia network and is ideal if you love geology, archaeology and quiet walks far from the crowded coast.

What to see in Masullas

Church of San Leonardo

The oldest church in the village dates from the 13th century: Romanesque, with a semicircular apse and a simple bell gable. Together with the church of Santa Lucia (14th century) it marks the two medieval hamlets that merged to form Masullas.

Parish church of the Beata Vergine delle Grazie

The main church has a single nave with side chapels and a 19th-century bell tower that is among the tallest in Sardinia. Inside you'll find a 17th-century wooden altarpiece and an early Christian baptismal font (6th–7th century) uncovered during excavations next to the church.

Former Capuchin convent and the GeoMuseo Monte Arci

The 17th-century convent of San Francesco houses the GeoMuseo Monte Arci «Stefano Incani», with minerals and some 1,800 fossils that tell the geological story of Marmilla. The adjoining church holds wooden sculptures from the 15th to the 19th century, and a botanical garden of Monte Arci plants has been laid out beside the convent. The village also has I Cavalieri delle Colline, a museum about the local aristocracy.

Archaeology and natural curiosities

The area has around a dozen nuraghi (Bronze Age stone towers), the Roman necropolis of Mitza Salida about 2 km from the centre, and rock formations wrapped in folk legends, such as Sa Perda Sperrada («the split stone»), a huge boulder cut by a clean crack.

Things to do in Masullas

The big draw is the Monte Arci nature park, an extinct volcano cloaked in holm oak and downy oak that supplied obsidian in prehistoric times – the black volcanic glass traded all over the Mediterranean. From Masullas you can reach the obsidian park of Conca 'e Cannas, one of the most important deposits in the Mediterranean, the Taraxi woods and the rock face of Su Columbariu, or seek out the standing stones of Sa Perda 'e Sposa, said to be a wedding party turned to stone. These are great routes for hiking, mountain biking and nature photography. Scroll down to discover the hikes and experiences offered by local operators.

History

The nuraghi point to very ancient settlement, while the cemeteries confirm a Roman-era village. In the Middle Ages Masullas belonged to the Judicate of Arborea, in the Parte Montis district. After Arborea fell it passed to the Aragonese and, from 1603, to the marquisate of Quirra, until it bought its freedom when feudalism was abolished in 1839.

What to eat and buy

The village's symbol is the pomegranate, turned into jams and liqueurs. Try traditional pasta shapes such as crogoristas and tallutzas, meat roasted or stewed with artichokes and potatoes, and almond sweets like amarettus and gueffus.

Festivals and traditions

Beata Vergine delle Grazie, the patron saint's festival between late June and early July: a procession in traditional dress with horsemen, decorated carts (traccas) and launeddas, the Sardinian triple-reed pipes.
Pomegranate festival, in early November.
Santa Lucia, in mid-December, with the rosary sung in Sardinian and a big bonfire, su fogadoni.

Nearby

Siris and Pompu, a few minutes away: the Inus and Santu Miali nuraghi.
Simala, the «village of portals».
Barumini and Su Nuraxi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, about 40 minutes' drive away.

Getting there and when to go

Leave the SS 131 Carlo Felice highway towards Uras and continue for a few kilometres. Oristano is about 35 minutes by car; Cagliari airport and port are just over an hour away. Spring and autumn are the best seasons for walking on Monte Arci; in summer, set out early in the morning. The nearest beaches are on the Gulf of Oristano, about 40 minutes away.