Oristano and Sinis · Provincia di Oristano

Things to do in Tramatza

Tramatza, Sardinia: 14th-century church, Roman bridge over the Cispiri, nuraghi, village festivals and rustic food, 15 km from Oristano.

Tramatza, Sardegna — © Tiuliano · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Tramatza is a small farming village of about nine hundred people in the Campidano di Oristano plain, roughly 15 km from Oristano at the foot of Monte Ferru (Montiferru). Its name comes from tramatzu, the tamarisk that grows along the rio Cispiri stream. It's a short but pleasant stop if you enjoy rural villages, archaeology and country cooking, and a quiet, handy base between the Sinis coast and the island's interior.

What to see in Tramatza

The parish church of Santa Maria Maddalena

The main church, dedicated to Mary Magdalene together with the Saviour and San Geminiano, dates from the 14th century and was consecrated in 1388. Its sacristy holds a sarcophagus from the Giudicato period decorated in bas-relief.

The Roman bridge over the Cispiri

Along the rio Cispiri lie the remains of a Roman bridge from the late Republic or early Empire, so important to the village that it appears on the town's coat of arms.

The old centre and San Giovanni

The old streets keep rural houses made of mud and straw bricks, with gateways and loggias. On the edge of the village stands the 17th-century church of San Giovanni Battista, the saint most loved by locals.

Nuraghi and domus de janas

The area has several nuraghi, including nuraghe Mannu, plus remains of domus de janas, prehistoric tombs cut into the rock.

Things to do in Tramatza

The flat countryside is great for walks and bike rides along the Cispiri, among reeds, willows and tamarisks where herons, egrets and moorhens live. From here you're soon at Vernaccia wineries, the Montiferru trails and the Sinis beaches. Browse the experiences offered by local operators below and book yours.

History

Inhabited since the Neolithic, as the village sites of su Sarrigheddu and is Launeddas show, the area was settled in Nuragic and Roman times. Tramatza is first recorded in 1130, in the founding charter of the monastery of Santa Maria di Bonarcado, and belonged to the Campidano di Milis district of the Giudicato of Arborea. After 1420 it followed the Marquisate of Oristano, became an Aragonese fief in 1478, passed to the Flores Nurra marquisate of Arcais in the 18th century and was bought back in 1839. Under Fascism it was part of Milis until the 1950s.

What to eat and buy

Cooking here is rustic: dishes of broad beans, onions and potatoes, grilled sausage, chicken and rabbit cooked in Vernaccia, and eel with cheese. Sweets include amaretti, pabassinus de saba, pardulas and sospiri. The Cispiri was once famous for its sturdy canes, used all over Sardinia.

Festivals and traditions

January bonfire (mid-January): a big fire in the square.
San Giovanni Battista (late June): the most heartfelt feast, with a mutton festival.
Santa Maria Maddalena (late July): the patron saint's feast.
Onion festival (early August) and new wine (November).

Nearby

Bauladu: nuraghe Crabia and giants' tombs, a few minutes away.
Milis: orange groves, the Romanesque church of San Paolo and Palazzo Boyl.
Paulilatino: the sacred well of Santa Cristina, about 15 minutes away.
Villanova Truschedu: nuraghe Santa Barbara.
Sinis beaches: Is Arenas and Putzu Idu, about 25 minutes away.

Getting there and when to go

Tramatza sits right by the SS131 Carlo Felice highway, about 15 minutes from Oristano. The nearest airport is Cagliari-Elmas, about an hour and a quarter away; Alghero is about an hour and a half. The handiest ports are Cagliari, Porto Torres and Olbia. Spring and autumn are ideal for the countryside; in summer, pair the village with the Sinis coast.