Discover Solarussa: Churches, Nuraghi and Vernaccia

Solarussa amid churches, Nuraghi and wine-making traditions

Solarussa combines sacred buildings, archaeological traces and the rural landscape of the Tirso Valley. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Solarussa, you will find a range of starting points for your trip here: historic architecture, barely recognisable settlement remains, agriculturally shaped areas and a festival and craft tradition closely connected with Vernaccia.

Churches and historical traces

The parish church of San Pietro was built between 1830 and 1835 and consecrated on 24 June 1835. Inside are two paintings by the Roman painter Pietro Angeletti. Chiesa delle Grazie is the oldest of Solarussa’s four sanctuaries. Its distinctive architectural features include a loggia with three rows of arches and two similarly designed bell towers flanking the façade. Chiesa delle Anime was built in 1749 and retains its original structure. Its three-aisled, basilica-like floor plan, polychrome marble altar and wooden pulpit provide clear art-historical points of reference. Casa Sanna, an old manor house with large rooms, also points to the wealth of its original owners.

The Romanesque church of San Gregorio stands on a hill on the eastern outskirts of Solarussa, immediately outside the town in an enclosed rural setting. A large portal topped by a bell gable stands in front of its entrance. Based on its formal characteristics, the church is dated to the second half of the 12th century; it was preceded by the foundation structures of an early medieval church. A floor covering and a basin from the early Roman period have also been preserved at the site; they may have belonged to a thermal building. Nearby are the Roman-period remains known as “putz’e angius”.

Nuraghi and an open agricultural landscape

Nuraghe Pidighi is a complex nuraghe with a central tower, courtyard and longitudinally aligned secondary tower. A spiral staircase is visible inside the main tower. The archaeological complex of Pidighi lies between the valleys of the Rio Cìspiri and the Fiume Tirso. The ancient settlement around Nuraghe Muru Accas presents a different picture: its remains are barely visible among vegetation and collapsed stone. Apart from clearance work, no excavations have yet been carried out there. These differing states of preservation make it clear that archaeological impressions in Solarussa range from striking structures to subtle traces.

Bennaxi and the Vernaccia tradition

The Bennaxi area along the Tirso Valley is completely flat and irrigated. Artichokes, watermelons, melons, olives and grapevines are cultivated there, among other crops. Bennaxi was once Solarussa’s most important growing area for Vernaccia; today, cultivation there is considered rare. During processing, the grapes are crushed with the feet in a linen sack placed in a trachyte trough. Solarussa’s annual Vernaccia festival takes place in September.

Local customs also contribute to the distinctiveness of the town. Solarussa’s carnival is called “su Bingiatteri”, meaning “the winegrower”. In Solarussa, the compositions known as “Is Gogius” are used during the novenas dedicated to San Gregorio Magno, San Pietro and Nostra Signora delle Grazie. When looking for accommodation, you can therefore decide in advance whether you would like to make churches and archaeology, the agricultural landscape of Bennaxi, or Vernaccia and local traditions the focus of your trip.

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To the higher-level travel overview: Oristano.