Soleminis, a charming town in southern Sardinia

About 20 Km from Cagliari, the village of Soleminis (1834 pop.) lies in a hilly area of the Campidano of Cagliari, on the border with the mountains of Serpeddì.

In one of the most fertile areas in southern Sardinia devoted to agropastoral activities (vines, olives and cereals), this village is characterized by the production of bread and honey, the collection of herbs, and breeding poultry.

Numerous archaeological sites in the area are evidence of the presence of significant settlements since the prenuragic period .

The first mention of the village’s name dates back to the eleventh century, when the village was part of the curatoria of Parteolla in the Giudicato of Cagliari.

In 1258 the village was a possession of the Gherardesca family of Pisa, and in 1297 of the town of Pisa. During the Aragonese and Spanish domination the village belonged to several feudal lords.

Abandoned because of plagues, the village, founded again in 1637 by the noble family of Vico, passed to the Amat family who kept it until redemption of the feud in 1839.

In the old centre of Soleminis there are still several ancient buildings made in the traditional rural architecture with raw mud bricks.

. One of these, the house “Corda Spada”, has been transformed into a cultural centre, which houses an interesting ethnographic collection, as well as furniture, tools and artifacts of everyday life in the island. At the limit of the municipal boundary, in lcoalita Sedd’e Cresia, there is the parish church of San Giacomo. Probably built on the ruins of a medieval church, this seventeenth-century church, with an interior in Gothic style, houses numerous statues and a beautiful silver cross dating back to 1300.

Do not miss to visit the beautiful park Monte Arrubiu, part of the State forest of Campidano (some 1600 hectares).

The forest borders the centres of Sinnai and Settimo S. Pietro, and the territories of Soleminis and Dolianova.

Entering from Soleminis, north of the forest, you reach Monte Arrubiu and find also a plant nursery and the former forest barracks, that were renovated and destined to environmental education activities.

Photo Credits by comune di soleminis