Arbatax’s Rocce Rosse Sardinia, Italy
The second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and home to luxuriant vegetation, Sardinia, Italy, is a true miracle of nature.
Something particularly striking is the island’s aspect in itself: mainly consisting of rocky coasts covered in plants in the most vibrant shades of green, it is surrounded from all sides by the emerald waters of the Mediterranean Sea, as if it were waiting to be drowned in them.
If you have decided to travel to the sunny lands of Sardinia, then here are four places you absolutely have to see:
1. Santuario e Basilica di Nostra Signora di Bonaria
Once you are in the capital of the island, Cagliari, if you go about one kilometer, approximately three-quarters of a mile, southeast of Via Roma, the Bonaria hill, home to the sanctuary built in honor of the Virgin Mary, will welcome you with its arms open.
The main attraction is Nostra Signora di Bonaria, the patroness of Sardinia, Italy, a wooden statue representing the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus in her arms that dates back to at least the 14th century. According to tradition, it miraculously landed on the beach in front of the Bonaria hill.
Legend has it that on 25 March 1370 a ship coming from Catalonia was caught in a storm and so the sailors decided to throw all cargo overboard. As soon as they threw the heavy box containing the statue into the sea, the storm suddenly abated.
Since then, devotion to Our Lady of Bonaria quickly spread over Sardinia, especially among seaman and fishermen who invoked her as their protector.
2. Archaelogical Site Su Nuraxi
A nuraghe is a Sardinian megalithic edifice dating back to more than 1000 BCE, and is nowadays regarded as one of the island’s main symbols. Abandoned and inhabited for centuries in a row, the structure was excavated relatively late, in the 1950s’. The process took little over six years. Today, the tourists interested in its architecture can thoroughly inspect it, as it is the only completely excavated nuraghe in Sardinia.
3. Cattedrale di Santa Maria
Piazza Palazzo, the main square of Castello, one of Cagliari’s main neighborhoods, is the place to go if you want to see the Cagliari Cathedral, also known as the Cattedrale di Santa Maria e Santa Cecilia.
Built in the 13th century in the clean Pisan-Romanesque style, it was modified several times across the ages, mainly due to the new conquerors and their native architectural designs. Today, the structure has a bit of them all: the Gothic columns —renovated in the 1930s’, a Neo-Romanesque façade which aimed to resemble the old one, and the interior décor, enriched with baroque elements.
4. Museo Archeologico Nazionale
Imbued with tradition and a vibe of the past like no other, the archeological Museum in Sardinia is easily one of the most sought-after out there. Here, you can find everything a history buff would want to see, from the Nuraghic Bronze statues, to more recent Iron structures, as well as Phoenician and Roman artifacts.
For most visitors, Sardinia will feel like love at first sight. Goddesses standing tall alongside the thin layer of mosaic, memories of a yet to understand nuraghic period and gorgeous shores bathed in sun rays are just a few of the things that will lock your heart to this place.
If you want to get a glimpse of the magic you’ll find in Sardinia, Italy, click the button below and have a look at our wonderful photo gallery.