Sardara – 163 m. above the sea level and 4500 inhabitants – lies on the borders between Cagliari and Oristano. It is about half an hour distant from “Cagliari-Elmas Airport” and 25 min. from the beautiful Costa Verde (Marina di Arbus.

Sardara is one of the most interesting town of the Medio Campidano because of its archaeological and historical remains.
It is included in the well known historical and archaeological itinerary, which is named “Consorzio Sa Corona Arrubia” - Villanovaforru, Siddi, Barumini and La Giara.

It keeps fascinating historical evidences: a Domus de Janas grave in Pedralba’s hills, dated from “Bonannaro culture”, and several nuragic remains like Ortu Comidu, Nuraghe Perra, Nuratteddu, Axiurriu, Jana and Arbicci.
Sardara has a traditional economics based upon agricolture, breeding and handicraft.

Sardara has fascinating traditional feasts and festivals, whose popularity is great among people.

For example Sant.Antonio’s Day and San Gregorio’s Day, which happened in the past during the same period of the agrarian agreements renewal.

Santa Maria’s Festival takes place in May – Shepherds’ Feast – and in September – Sa Festa Manna – near the thermal place of the ancient Acquae Napolitanae now called “Terme di Sardara”.
The visitors are yearly attracted by the colours and the scents of the feast with its interesting and fascinating religious rites.

The kindly hospitality of the people makes very delightful the stay in Sardara.

Sant’Anastasia’s Feast has a special pagan meaning because of its neighbourhood of the nuragic sanctuary, where the folk songs and chants marry well with the good “Vino Novello”.

Santa Maria de Is Acquas

The country sanctuary of Santa Maria dei is Acquas is about 2 km. distant from Sardara. We have no definite informations about its primary building, but we know that it has been in existence for the first Centuries of the Millennium.
Now the church is the diocesan sanctuary.
The ancient Roman Buths’ structures lie under the sanctuary’s foundations.

Monreale Castle, recently restored, rises on the homonymous hill, which overlooks the Campidano Valley, the Gulf of Oristano and the placid waters of Santa Gilla.

The central part of the castle occupies the top of the hill (287 m. u.s.l) and overtops the ancient hamlet with hits quadrangular bulk and its solid structure of stone and eight difensive towers.

The central part has three courtyeards and the rooms are located along the three sides of the castle – north, east and south.
The building had several water tanks for overcoming summer dryness and the extended sieges.

The Monreale Castle – whose name comes from the latin “Mons Regalis” – rises in strategic position for mastering and controlling the south border of Giudicato di Arborea, towards Las Plassas and Arcuentu.
We have historical informations about the Castle from the old documents, which tell us that the stronghold was granted by the King James of Aragon to the Giudici (Lords) of Arborea, Mariano and Andreotto De Bas.
It was also managed by Pisa likewise the Las Plassas Castle.

The last excavations have discovered two sandstone blocks with a carved inscription, which relates the name of a “Magister” – master stone cuttered – and the year 1275, the probable foundation stones of the castle.
In 1324 the castle was used as a Royal Building by Teresa D’Entença, the wife of James of Aragon, because of her escape from Villa di Chiesa.

We have also many medieval objects and architectural structures, which give us the right informations about the daily life of the lords of the manor – Giudici of Arborea and famous members of the Royal House of Aragon.

All the inhabitants of the castle enjoyed the stronghold of Monreale because of its architectural features, which protected its lords against plots and offered the healthful possibility of benefiting by the good thermal waters of Villa Abbas- the old Acquae Napolitanae.

During the XIV C. the castle was the locating point of strategic and war policy against the spanish assaults: the lords of Arborea stocked up with foodstuff for hard times.