Discover Escolca: museums, San Simone and Sardinian architecture

Between Giara di Serri, Sarcidano and Trexenta

Escolca lies at the foot of Giara di Serri in the historic Sarcidano region and on the border with Trexenta. Olives, grain and grapevines are cultivated in the area around Escolca. In Escolca, therefore, the landscape and regional agriculture come together directly.

Churches, nuraghi and local history

Escolca is first documented in the 11th century as a villa of the Curatoria of Siurgus in the Judicate of Cagliari. The parish church of Santa Cecilia was built in the late Gothic style. Nuraghe Mogurus is a single-tower nuraghe made of basalt. The Church of Vergine delle Grazie in Escolca forms part of an area of historical and cultural value.

Historic houses and traditional crafts

The fully restored Casa Museo Sa' omu de Pillatusu is located in the historic town centre. It belongs to the municipal administration and houses a museum with objects and tools from the farming culture and traditions of this cultural area. The house follows the traditional Trexenta building style, with a portal, courtyard and a “sa lolla”. Visitors can try working at a loom in the way that was customary in many Sardinian houses during the last century. Escolca is also associated with old looms used to embroider fabrics, as well as basket makers who craft baskets.

Casa Museo Casa Seu

Casa Museo Casa Seu is a typical Campidanese house with a “sa Lolla”, reminiscent of an ancient Roman portico, onto which all the rooms of the house open. Its ground floor is intended for temporary exhibitions and also contains elements of traditional domestic life: a small room with a fireplace and an old carpenter’s workbench in a larger room. A permanent photo exhibition is dedicated to the festival and cult of San Simone. From the terrace, there are views across the landscape surrounding Escolca.

San Simone and its history

San Simone is now an abandoned hamlet of Escolca with around fifty houses built of straw and clay, which grew up around a chapel dedicated to the saint. The foundations of this chapel contain the remains of Su Nuraxi Mannu. The San Simone festival is celebrated at Pentecost.

Excursions, routes and regional cuisine

The experiences on offer include a cycling or e-bike excursion to the abandoned medieval village of San Simone. A guided tour of the ruins of the Church of San Simone and the stone houses is also available, together with explanations of the village’s history and former rural life. From Escolca, Nuraxi–San Simone can be reached via old drivable paths or an agricultural access road that has since been fully paved. The paved access road leads to the Mandas–Villanovafranca provincial road. When choosing accommodation, it is worth considering whether you would like to make museums, local history, the festival, the excursion or regional specialities the focus of your trip. Regional cuisine includes a tasting of traditional Trexenta dishes prepared with local products, including, for example, pane carasau, culurgiones, pecora alla campidanese, cheese and local wines.

More travel ideas: Vallermosa, Teulada, Campulongu, Sitò, Quartucciu, Uta, Notteri, Escalaplano

To the overarching travel overview: Cagliari.