South-West · Provincia del Medio Campidano

Things to do in Serramanna

What to see in Serramanna, Sardinia: San Leonardo church, Santa Maria sanctuary, a religious museum, the Perda Fitta menhir and nearby sights.

Serramanna, Sardegna — © Nicola Secci · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Serramanna is a large farming town in the Campidano plain, about 30 km from Cagliari, born where the Flumini Mannu and Leni rivers meet in one of Sardinia's most fertile areas. If you like real villages you'll find an old centre of Campidano houses with wide arched gateways and courtyards, churches from different eras and plenty of prehistoric traces. It suits slow travellers, anyone looking for a handy base near Cagliari and those curious about rural Sardinia.

What to see in Serramanna

Church of San Leonardo

The parish church, dedicated to the patron saint, blends Catalan Gothic, Aragonese and late Baroque features. It has a Latin-cross plan and an elegant octagonal bell tower; the interior was decorated in the mid-20th century by painter Giuseppe Carcangiu.

Sant'Angelo and the Museum of Memories

The 16th-century church of Sant'Angelo holds a wooden statue of the Guardian Angel and houses the Museum of Religious Memories and Traditions, with liturgical objects, statues, silverware and votive offerings.

Santa Maria di Monserrat

Out in the countryside stands the church of Santa Maria, mentioned in a donation to Benedictine monks as early as 1089 and declared a sanctuary in 1999. Excavations in its sacristy uncovered a nuraghe, one of Sardinia's Bronze Age towers.

Old centre and San Sebastiano

Stroll among the arched gateways and courtyards, look for Casa Abis with its long portico of pointed arches, the old grain store and the former Dominican convent of San Sebastiano, now used for cultural events.

Prehistory

The area includes the village of Cuccuru Ambudu, one of the earliest settlements here, and the Perda Fitta menhir, a granite standing stone linked to the Mother Goddess cult. Roman finds are kept at the National Archaeological Museum in Cagliari.

Things to do in Serramanna

The flat plain around the town is perfect for cycling along country lanes through vegetable plots, wheat fields and orchards. Serramanna is also a handy starting point for day trips to the Linas mountains, the beaches of Cagliari or the archaeological sites of the Campidano. Browse the experiences offered by local operators below and pick the one that suits you.

History

The area has been inhabited since prehistory and in Roman times was dotted with farming villages. In the Middle Ages it belonged to the Giudicato (medieval kingdom) of Cagliari and was split into several hamlets that later merged into one town. It passed to Arborea, then Pisa, and in 1323 to Aragon. In 1617 Antonio Brondo became the first Count of Serramanna. When feudalism ended in 1839, it became a municipality. In the 20th century the cooperative winery, closed in 1988, and the canning industry, still active, shaped the local economy.

Food and shopping

Serramanna is one of the island's leading fruit and vegetable producers, so expect hearty Campidano farm cooking: seasonal vegetables, soups, semolina bread, cheeses and traditional sweets. Take home tomato preserves and fresh produce.

Festivals and traditions

The community is devoted to its patron, San Leonardo, and to the country church of Santa Maria, a pilgrimage site. As across the Campidano, religious life and farming traditions mark the town's year.

Around Serramanna

Villasor: Siviller castle, about 5 km away.
San Sperate: the village of murals and the Sound Garden.
Samassi: the Romanesque church of San Geminiano and its carnival.
Serrenti: Monti Mannu park and the church of Santa Vitalia.
Villacidro: the Sa Spendula waterfall and the Linas woods.

Getting there and when to go

Cagliari's airport and port are about half an hour away by car. The town has a railway station, Serramanna-Nuraminis, on the Cagliari–Golfo Aranci line, and is crossed by the SS 196. Spring and autumn are ideal for cycling and sightseeing; the nearest beaches, around the Gulf of Cagliari, are about 40 minutes away.