Oristano and Sinis · Provincia di Oristano

Things to do in Siamanna

Siamanna near Oristano: San Giovanni chapel and nuraghe, Santa Lucia church, Monte Grighine hikes and the August palio horse race.

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Siamanna is a small farming village in the upper Campidano, about 15 km from Oristano, at the foot of Monte Grighine. Born along an ancient Roman road, it keeps low houses with big courtyards, a hilltop chapel beside a nuraghe and genuine village feasts with horse races and ravioli made by local women. Perfect for peace, hikes and rural Sardinia just outside Oristano.

Things to see in Siamanna

Church of Santa Lucia

The parish church is dedicated to the patron saint. The original 16th-century building was pulled down and rebuilt in the early 20th century, but its 18th-century bell tower survives.

San Giovanni chapel and nuraghe

On a hill about 2 km from the village stands the little church of San Giovanni, restored several times; beside it is the nuraghe of the same name, the most important in the area. The view sweeps over the plain.

The old village

It keeps Campidano rural architecture, with low houses, wide courtyards and narrow streets. Several other nuraghi ring the village.

Things to do in Siamanna

Monte Grighine, over 700 metres high, dominates the area: an ancient island of Palaeozoic rock covered in Mediterranean scrub, centuries-old holm oaks and cork oaks, great for hiking and mountain biking. Once a bandits' hideout, it now also hosts a large wind farm. Nearby you can add Monte Arci, the Roman baths of Fordongianus and the sea of the Gulf of Oristano. Look further down: you'll find experiences offered by local operators, ready to book.

History

The village grew in Roman times along the road linking Usellus to Forum Traiani (today's Fordongianus), still remembered in a local place name. The name itself probably comes from s'ia, “the road”, plus manna, “great”, in contrast with neighbouring Siapiccia. The nuraghi around the village, however, tell of much older settlement. From 1947 to 1975 Siamanna and Siapiccia formed a single municipality.

Food and shopping

The village lives from livestock, cereals, orchards, olive groves and vineyards. Try the local bread, cheeses and ricotta, grapes, and the traditional ravioli that star at the August festival.

Festivals and traditions

San Giovanni: late June, with dinner, music and traditional dancing.
Santa Lucia, the patron saint: around 21–22 August, with the palio de su pannu, a horse race once rewarded with a brocade cloth, and a food fair featuring home-made ravioli.
Winter Santa Lucia: 12–13 December, with bonfires and a procession.

Nearby

Siapiccia, the “twin” village.
Fordongianus, with Roman baths and the Casa Aragonese.
Villaurbana, with its nuraghi and bread museum.
Oristano, about 20 minutes away.

Getting there and when to go

From Oristano it's about 20 minutes via Simaxis; the SS 131 is close. The nearest airport is Cagliari, about an hour and a quarter away. Spring and autumn are ideal for the Grighine, summer for the festivals.