Holiday apartment in Oristano: Sartiglia, museums and coast

Oristano between Sartiglia, history and coast

Oristano is a city for a trip that brings together equestrian tradition, medieval traces and days by the coast. Sa Sartiglia is one of the last equestrian tournaments of medieval origin still held in the Mediterranean region. Traditionally, it takes place in Oristano on the last Sunday and Tuesday of the Carnival season. When choosing a holiday apartment in Oristano, you can therefore focus on the city's history or on combining culture and coast.

The oldest documentary evidence of Sartiglia is a register from the Oristano municipal archives dating from 1547–1548. It mentions a “Sortilla”, which was probably held in 1546 in honour of Emperor Charles V.

A holiday apartment in Oristano for cultural discoveries

The Centro di Documentazione sulla Sartiglia is housed in Palazzo Sanna at Via Eleonora 15. The building is a municipal institution serving the activities of the Fondazione Oristano. The centre displays historical memorabilia, costumes, masks, documents, photographs and videos about Oristano's equestrian tournament. It also explains the history of the Gremi, the figure of su Componidori, the star-jousting, the Pariglie and the rosettes. On the occasion of Sartiglia 2019, an interactive and multimedia exhibition about the equestrian tournament was opened there.

The Antiquarium Arborense houses around 10,000 municipal cultural assets, most of them archaeological in nature. Its altarpiece hall contains the San Martino altarpiece from the 15th century, the Santo Cristo altarpiece from 1533 and the Madonna dei Consiglieri altarpiece from 1565.

The Museo Diocesano Arborense is considered the largest diocesan museum in Sardinia. It houses a permanent collection of sacred artworks owned by the archdiocese.

The Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta stands on the site of an earlier Byzantine church dedicated to the Archangel Michael. The Chiesa e Monastero di Santa Chiara complex was built in 1343 by King Peter III of Arborea. The Church of Santa Chiara preserves a Gothic apse as well as numerous remains of the side walls and the former monastery.

Oristano's medieval fortifications were reinforced by Judge Mariano II at the end of the 13th century with defensive towers at the gates and 28 irregularly distributed square turrets. Some of these turrets are still visible today.

Torre Grande: coast and water sports

At Torre Grande, a sandy coastal strip stretches between the Spanish Tower and Villa Baldino. On the beach, individual sports such as beach ball games are possible, while in the water you can swim, surf, windsurf and kitesurf, provided that distancing rules are observed. When planning your accommodation, you can therefore choose between different holiday focuses, from cultural discoveries to active hours by the water.

Oristano can be reached from Cagliari-Elmas Airport or from the port of Cagliari. When choosing your holiday apartment, you can therefore weigh up whether you mainly want to experience the equestrian tradition and museums or also include the coastal landscape and water sports in your holiday days.

Further destinations for your planning: Baradili, San Nicolò d'Arcidano, Scano Di Montiferro, Tresnuraghes, Fordongianus, Putzu Idu, Paulilatino, Bonarcado

For the higher-level travel overview: Oristano.