Costume and Traditions Museum
The Costume and Traditions Museum of Iglesias was inaugurated in 2019 thanks to the ethnographic and anthropological heritage collected and preserved for years by the master Priola, owned by him and acquired through donations from families in Iglesias. The museum preserves costumes, jewelry, and household items from the past. In the ground floor room, visitors can admire everyday utensils such as baskets, jars, carved and painted chests, looms, grinding stones, and presses. In the first-floor room, visitors can admire the traditional costume of Iglesias. Regarding the traditional women’s dress, there are several types according to social class or a woman’s condition at a particular moment in her life. For example, “Sa Nostrada” was the noble or bourgeois woman who wore the dress that best identified with Iglesias. The “Massaja Antiga” was the landowner. Beautiful is the dress of “Sa Bagadia” or the young lady. The men’s outfit includes a white shirt with a wide collar, a blue or black corset, a black orbace or cloth jacket, ankle-length pants, also in black orbace, and finally “Sa Berritta” or “Su sombreri,” the headgear. On the side, there are many precious pieces, including shawls and corsets, and in the central part, jewels, including earrings, pendants, brooches, and buttons are displayed. The museum can be visited every day by reservation at the Tourist Office by calling +39 0781274507 or by sending an email to infoturistiche@comune.iglesias.ca.it INFORMATION Address: Via Giuseppe Mazzini, 2, 09016 Iglesias SU Opening Hours: Tutti i giorni previa prenotazione all’Ufficio del Turismo di Iglesias Telephone: +39 0781274507 E-mail: infoturistiche@comune.iglesias.ca.it
Seddas Moddizzis Mining Village
The Asproni Mining Village, also known as Seddas Moddizzis, was built at the beginning of the twentieth century to house the employees of the Gonnesa mine. It consists of about a dozen buildings, immersed in an area of great environmental interest. The access road to the village leads to the square where there are the Asproni residence, which has an internal courtyard and the central tower, and the management building. In addition to the workers’ houses, the cellar-shop near the square is of interest, with a high arched porch currently used as place of events, and the church of Santa Barbara, with exposed stonework, which is located in an elevated position, on the northern border of the village. To visit the village, it is necessary to book a guided tour at +39 347 3213028 or +39 331 7726838, send an email to villaggiominerarioasproni@gmail.com or visit the website www.villaggiominerarioasproni.it INFORMATION Address: Località Seddas Moddizzis, Iglesias 09016 CI Telephone: +39 347 3213028 | +39 331 7726838 E-mail: villaggiominerarioasproni@gmail.com Website: www.villaggiominerarioasproni.it
Pozzo Sella
Pozzo Sella, located inside the Monteponi site, was built between 1872 and 1874 to extract water that prevented the cultivation of minerals. Over time, the remarkable exterior structure, with its distinctive architecture, was used to house the mine’s technological services, such as the mechanical workshop, forges, and carpentry. Stopping at Pozzo Sella gives the chance to live a unique journey through time, bringing visitors back to the era of the mine’s full activity, giving the sensation that the miners only abandoned those places a few days before. Guided tours of Monteponi and Pozzo Sella are organized by reservation only. INFORMATION Address: Località Monteponi, 09016 Iglesias SU E-mail:associazionepozzosella@gmail.com
Monteponi
The imposing mining complex on the outskirts of the city of Iglesias came to life thanks to a concession from the Kingdom of Sardinia in the mid-nineteenth century. Led first by Giulio Keller, a skilled Hungarian engineer, and then by the just twenty-three-year-old Adolfo Pellegrini, the works gave rise to the splendid Bellavista building, headquarters of the management, accommodation for miners and shops, some washhouses for the sorting of minerals, and structures for the mining activity including the most important ones: Pozzo Sella and Pozzo Vittorio Emanuele connected by the Galleria Villamarina. During its golden period, Monteponi hosted up to 1,000 workers. Today, anyone who wants to get an idea of the mining past of Sulcis must absolutely visit the now abandoned village, which stands imposing and somewhat spectral on the ridge of a hill a few kilometers from the city. It is suggested to fully enjoy the atmosphere and have all the elements for understanding the places, to take advantage of the guidance of one of the skilled local guides. INFORMATION Guided tours are by reservation only and are managed by Cissa. Address: Villa Bellavista, Località Miniere Monteponi, 09016 Monteponi CI Telephone: +39 0781274507 E-mail: infoturistiche@comune.iglesias.ca.it
Villamarina Gallery
It takes its name from the Marquis of Villamarina, viceroy of the kingdom of Sardinia, and was excavated in 1852 at 174 meters above sea level. The gallery connected the two main shafts: the Sella shaft and the Vittorio Emanuele shaft. The first was designed by engineer Pellegrini to extract the water that prevented the mining of minerals, while the Vittorio Emanuele shaft transported people and minerals. A visit to the gallery is a charming immersion in the underground dimension of the mine. TICKETS AND USEFUL INFORMATION The number of visitors is limited for safety reasons. It is strongly recommended to purchase tickets before the visit. Tickets for the guided tour of Galleria Villamarina can be purchased: It is recommended to arrive at the ticket office with the paper or digital ticket receipt 15 minutes before the visit. Latecomers will not be allowed to enter and will not be refunded. The guided tour lasts about 1 hour and takes place on a fairly regular dirt road. For this reason, with due consideration for individual cases, the site is accessible, with a guide, to those with motor disabilities. It is mandatory to have closed shoes, and recommended to have a jacket. English tours at 11 am, 2 pm, 4 pm, 6 pm. Babies cannot be picked up: they must walk the entire way or be carried in a baby carrier.No pets allowed. PRICES Full price: 10.00 € Reduced (children aged 6/12 and seniors over 65): 6.50 € CMSB Pilgrims (with credentials): 6.50 € Groups (at least 20 paying adults): 8.00 € Schools: 6.50 € (not available online) For groups larger than 25 people, please contact the Tourism Office. INFORMATION Address: Ufficio del Turismo Piazza Municipio, 1 – 09016 Iglesias – CA Telephone: +39 0781274507 E-mail: infoturistiche@comune.iglesias.ca.it
Laveria Lamarmora and Nebida mine
It is one of the most evocative monuments of the mining landscape. Set on the slope overlooking the sea of Nebida, today it is the majestic ghost of an ancient ore washing facility. During its operational period, the facility was used for the selection and washing of minerals, a task mainly assigned to women. The ore washing facility was located near the calcination ovens, the storage warehouses, and the pier from which materials were shipped. The main materials processed were lead and zinc. In 1919, Nebida was home to three thousand people, one third of whom worked in the mine. The mine experienced a long period of prosperity in the first half of the 20th century, interrupted only by the two world wars and closed permanently in the seventies. Today, the skeleton of the ancient structure stands on the magnificent cliffs of Nebida in front of the 5 sea stacks and is one of the favorite backdrops for souvenir photos of the Iglesiente region. The site is currently not visitable due to safety work.
Santa Barbara Cave and San Giovanni Mine
The Santa Barbara Cave provides the most stunning surprise effect in the Iglesiente tourist offer: a unique treasure in the world made possible by human work and natural forces. Even the history of its discovery is surprising. In 1952, during excavation for the construction of an ascending tunnel, the incredible spectacle of this magnificent cavern appeared before the astonished eyes of the workers who had demolished a rocky wall. The great natural cavity was unknown to the scientific world because it was hidden in the heart of the mountain. The cave is an exemplary case for its dark brown tabular barite crystals that cover the walls, between the waxy limestone layer and the yellow silicified dolomite, formations from the Lower Cambrian period dating back to about 500 million years ago. This site of great charm is located inside the San Giovanni Mine and is accessible through an intricate system of underground tunnels made accessible by a train that, after a 700-meter ride, leads to an elevator that rises along a shaft. From the entrance, located at the top of a spiral staircase, a real underground cathedral opens up, sparkling and majestic. The rock formations carve fascinating and colorful bas-reliefs making the cave a magic place. San Giovanni is one of the oldest mines in Sardinia, exploited during the Roman and Pisan periods, and perhaps even earlier during the Nuragic period. Industrial activity was undertaken in 1867 by the English company Gonnesa Mining Company Ltd, which began the exploitation of Pb/Ag minerals (argentiferous galena) and Zn (calamine and blende). The mine was also distinguished by modern mineral processing facilities, including one of the first mechanical washing plants and innovative flotation units. Disadvantageous market situations, increased energy costs for water pumping, and the decreasing ore grade led to the closure of the mine in 1998, the last one in Iglesiente to cease activity. TICKETS AND USEFUL INFORMATION The number of visitors is limited for safety reasons. It is strongly recommended to purchase tickets before the visit. Tickets for the guided tour of the Santa Barbara Cave can be purchased exclusively: It is recommended to arrive at the ticket office with the paper or digital ticket receipt 20 minutes in advance. Late arrival will result in the visit being missed and no refund will be given. The visit lasts approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes and includes entry to the mine via a motorized train and an elevator; access to the cave is via a spiral staircase. English tour at 11:30 am and 3:30 pm. The temperature inside the cave is between 16/18 °C. Sportswear is recommended, and it is mandatory to have closed shoes. Babies cannot be picked up: they must walk the entire way or be carried in a baby carrier.No pets allowed. PRICES Full price: 15.00 € Reduced price for children (ages 6-12) and seniors +65: 12.00 € CMSB Pilgrims (with credentials): 12.00 € Groups (at least 15 paying adults): 13.00 € Schools: 12.00 € (not available for online purchase) For groups larger than 15 people, please contact the Tourism Office. INFORMATION Address: Ufficio del Turismo Piazza Municipio, 1 – 09016 Iglesias – CA Telephone: +39 0781 274507 E-mail: infoturistiche@comune.iglesias.ca.it
Sanctuary of San Giuseppe
Built between the late 16th century and the early 17th century, it is characterized by typical late-Gothic style. The building has a simple façade topped by a tympanum and enriched by a rose window with polychromatic glass depicting the image of Saint Joseph and the Jesus Child. Inside, the hall has a pointed vaulted ceiling. The altar houses a wooden structure containing the statue of Saint Joseph. On either side of the hall are two chapels. In the one on the right is the statue of Saint Lucy from the 15th century. In the one on the left is a statue of the Virgin from the 18th century, a Jesus Child from the 19th century, and the ancient bell of the sanctuary made by Canon Antonio Canavera in 1639. In the sacristy of the sanctuary, there is a holy water font, impressed by an effigy of Saint Clare defending herself from the Saracens by raising the monstrance.
Sanctuary of Vergine del Buon Cammino
The sanctuary was built around the 1630s. One of the two bells currently located in the sail bell tower that crowns the façade of the building dates back to 1668. The church was completely rebuilt in 1777, when the spouses Maria Antioca Pisano and Antioco Bernardini financed the works after obtaining the bishop’s approval. In 1803, another building was added to provide hospitality to pilgrims on celebration days. A third architectural element was added in 1817. Since the early decades of the 20th century, the church had been in danger of collapse and the heirs of Maria Antioca Pisano, unable to carry out the necessary repairs, decided in 1957 to transfer ownership to the ecclesiastical authorities. The restoration work, which began in 1961, was completed only with the solemn consecration of the church in 1977. Since 2002, the Church of Beata Vergine del Buon Cammino, which with its characteristic profile of white walls dominates the hill of the same name in the city of Iglesias, has been entrusted to the care of the St. Clare’s Sisters.
Sanctuary of Nostra Signora delle Grazie
Officially designated as a Sanctuary on October 18th, 1985, the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, originally dedicated to Saint Saturn was probably built between the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th century. The façade is divided into two levels. The first, dating back to the 13th century, enframes the portal with a lintel sculpted in acanthus spirals, surmounted by a round arch that bears an inscription with the coat of arms of Canon Marco Canavera from Iglesias. The second level features a Gothic-style single window, while the upper part, where two windows open, was built in the 17th century and ends with a broken pediment and a sail-shaped bell tower, one of which shows an effigy of Saint Catherine of Alexandria and the date 1649. The interior has a single aisle layout with a wooden roof supported by five pointed arches. In the second bay, on the left side, there is a grille with a small door used for the Holy Communion of the Clarisse nuns from the adjoining monastery, which was later suppressed. On the right wall of the fifth bay, at a low level, there is an embedded funeral inscription in memory of the Capuchin priest Benedetto from Iglesias, who died in 1713. In the last bay, two small side chapels open up, one dedicated to Saint Francis on the left and one to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the right. On the back wall, there is the seventeenth-century wooden statue of Our Lady of Grace, venerated by the community of Iglesias for having freed the city from the plague of locusts in 1735. The Celebration of Our Lady of Grace is celebrated on the second Sunday of July every year. During the Eucharistic celebration, the Mayor of Iglesias, on behalf of the Municipality and the people of Iglesias, renews the ancient vow to the Madonna by rereading the Supplication and offering a candle as a thanksgiving for the liberation from the voracious locusts, which had devastated the fields for twenty years, plaguing a population already afflicted by drought and pestilence.