Holiday apartment in Mamoiada: Mamuthones, wine and archaeology

Masks, traditional costumes and museums

In Mamoiada, mask culture, archaeology, wine and historic paths come together. The tradition is particularly vividly presented at the Museo delle Maschere Mediterranee. The museum compares the ritual arts of Barbagia with mask traditions from the wider Mediterranean region and displays complete masks and costumes of the Mamuthones and Issohadores from Mamoiada. A multimedia presentation on large screens also conveys the connection between the municipality of Mamoiada and the rite of the Mamuthones and Issohadores.

The Museo dell'Archeologia e del Territorio di Mamoiada, MATer, is dedicated to the area’s archaeological heritage and documents menhirs, necropolises, nuraghi and settlements. The interactive multimedia tour extends across three thematic rooms. The museum system of Mamoiada includes guided tours in Italian, English, French and Spanish.

The Museo della Cultura e del Lavoro presents Mamoiada’s agro-pastoral society through traditional costumes and their styles, fabrics, accessories, decorations and colours. These elements illustrate the social organisation, the hierarchies between social classes and the roles of men and women. The “La Culla dei Mamuthones e Issohadores” experience also leads into a historic venue where costumes, instruments and accessories belonging to the mask tradition are preserved.

Carnival and archaeological traces

During the Mamoiada Carnival, the Mamuthones and Issohadores appear at the feast of Saint Anthony between 16 and 17 January, on Carnival Sunday and Shrove Tuesday. After dressing up, the Mamuthones move through Mamoiada in groups of twelve, while the Issohadores perform in groups of eight. In this way, in addition to being presented in museums, the mask tradition also has a firmly established place in the annual calendar.

One of the notable archaeological details is the Boeli stele, also known as Sa Perda Pintà. It is decorated with concentric circles around a central cup mark; a straight incision cuts through the circles and ends in a hook-shaped extension. There are also 23 additional cup marks. The Istevéne necropolis consists of six artificially created hypogea, locally known as Concheddas.

From the village, access to the Istevéne necropolis follows the SS 389 towards Fonni for approximately 3 km to a passing bay. A gently ascending path then leads to the first Domus de Janas. The hills around Mamoiada are also crossed by the “sentieri dei pastori”, former transhumance routes that are now used as trekking and mountain-bike trails. There are 32 nuraghi in the area, including Arràilo, which, together with traces of settlements and giants’ tombs, characterise the more fertile areas.

Wine, trails and local experiences

The “Mamoiada – Rinascere con il Vino” experience includes a tasting of three selected glasses of wine from local wineries. Winemaking techniques are explained through the first-hand account of a winemaker or producer. Cantina Giuseppe Sedilesu is part of the Strada del Vino Cannonau.

The Mamoiada Experience combines urban trekking routes with excursions through vineyards followed by wine tastings at a winery. This gives you a choice for planning your trip between intensive cultural experiences, archaeological discoveries, outdoor activity in the hills and oenological impressions. When searching for a holiday apartment in Mamoiada, you can weigh these priorities against one another and choose your accommodation according to the type of day you prefer.

Further places for planning your trip

If you would like to combine Mamoiada with other places, also discover Nuoro, La Caletta, Torpè, Fonni, Orgosolo, Concas, Bortigali and Bolotana.

To the higher-level travel overview: Nuoro.