Marmilla and Sarcidano · Provincia del Medio Campidano

Things to do in Setzu

Things to do in Setzu, Sardinia: wild Giara ponies, prehistoric rock tombs, San Leonardo church, a multimedia museum and summer festivals.

All Adventure and sport Culture and traditions Families and kids Food and wine Nature and hiking Sea Wellness

We are gathering the first experiences for this area. Check back soon, or tell us about an operator you know.

Setzu is a tiny Marmilla village of just over a hundred people in the province of South Sardinia, nestled at the foot of the Giara plateau. Its territory takes in some 250 hectares of the plateau's south-western slope, home to the famous wild ponies. It's the right place if you love nature, prehistoric rock tombs and villages where time moves slowly.

What to see in Setzu

Church of San Leonardo

The parish church, dedicated to the patron saint, began as a Romanesque building and was rebuilt in the 17th century with Baroque touches and a barrel vault. Beside it rises a square bell tower.

The village

The streets preserve the traditional stone houses of Marmilla, with an arched gateway onto the courtyard and, opposite, the home with its loggia, the lolla. Also worth a look are the former monte granatico (communal grain store) and the sanctuary of San Cristoforo.

Filo di Memoria museum

Set in an old house in the centre, this small multimedia museum tells the prehistory and history of the village across three rooms, partly through local folk tales.

Domus de janas and nuraghi

The domus de janas («fairy houses») of Domu 'e s'Orcu and Grutta sa Perda are prehistoric tombs carved into the rock, among the most interesting in the area. You'll also find the remains of the s'Uraxi nuraghe and traces of Roman-era homes.

Things to do in Setzu

The big experience is the Giara: a basalt tableland covered in cork oak, downy oak, holm oak and wild olive, dotted in winter and spring with seasonal ponds. Here the Giara ponies, a breed found nowhere else in Europe, roam free. Explore the plateau on foot, on horseback or by mountain bike – ideally with a guide to reveal its secrets. Discover the experiences offered by local operators below.

History

The rock tombs point to very ancient human presence, followed by the Nuragic people and the Romans. In the Middle Ages Setzu was part of the Judicate of Arborea; after 1420 it passed to the Aragonese and from 1603 to the marquisate of Quirra, until it bought its freedom in 1839 and became a self-governing municipality.

What to eat and buy

Setzu's cooking features local meat, cheese and wine, plus mushrooms and snails gathered in the countryside. Stars of the summer festival are fregola, toasted semolina pasta pearls, and su pani indorau, golden fried bread.

Festivals and traditions

Fregola and pani indorau festival, in mid-August.
Sant'Ignazio da Laconi, in late August.
San Leonardo, the patron saint, in early November.

Nearby

Tuili, a couple of kilometres away: Villa Asquer, San Pietro church and Sardegna in Miniatura.
Genuri, with the San Marco nuraghe, and Ussaramanna, with the San Pietro nuraghe.
Gesturi, with the Sa Jara Manna park on the Giara.
Barumini and Su Nuraxi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, about 10 minutes away.

Getting there and when to go

From the SS 131 Carlo Felice take the SS 197 towards Villamar and Barumini, then continue to Tuili and Setzu. Cagliari airport and port are about an hour's drive. The best time for the Giara is spring, when the ponds are full, everything is green and the ponies are easier to spot; autumn is pleasant too.