Mandas between Archaeology, Churches and the Trenino Verde
Accommodation in Mandas
Mandas: Sardinian history in many tangible places
Mandas brings together archaeology, ecclesiastical architectural history, everyday culture and Sardinia’s railway tradition. The Trenino Verde departs from Mandas station at Largo Lawrence; at the same time, the station is one of the largest stations on the Trenino Verde line. Museums and historic buildings in Mandas offer different ways of accessing the history of the municipality and its surrounding area.
File:Stazione di Mandas Binari giugno 2017.jpg
Photo: Nicola Secci via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Archaeology from the Nuragic period to Late Antiquity
The MAHMU displays more than 200 archaeological finds from the Mandas area. The finds were excavated and restored there. The tour of the MAHMU presents everyday life over a period of more than 3,000 years—from the Nuragic protohistory to Late Antiquity. The Mandas area also contains more than 48 Nuragic ruins and settlements from the same period.
The Su Angiu archaeological complex in Mandas is also part of this historical focus. It dates from the Nuragic, Punic and Roman periods. Those interested in Sardinia’s long development can therefore view different eras side by side in Mandas: from the archaeological finds in the museum to the ruins and settlements throughout the municipal area.
Churches, monastic complexes and everyday life
Since 2008, the former monastery and the church of San Francesco have housed the Emilio Pisano municipal library, the historic archive of Mandas and the TitoluS media library on Sardinian feudalism. The parish church of San Giacomo Apostolo Maggiore was built between 1585 and 1605 in the Catalan Gothic style. In the church of Sant'Antonio Abate, existing Roman structures stand beneath the later sacred building.
The Is Lollas de is Aiaius museum complex includes a medieval ensemble from the 12th century. It was built above the Roman paving of the road from Karalis to the Barbagie and is dedicated to Saint Anthony the Great. The Is Lollas de is Aiaius ethnographic museum also allows visitors to see simple homes that have been inhabited by the Marongiu and Landis families since the 18th century.
The Peregrinatio Fidei Museum of Sacred Art is located in a 17th-century architectural complex that developed around the monastery of the Observant Friars Minor. This view of the past is complemented by Acquabona Park, with its associated spring dating from the Middle Ages.
Another perspective: mobility in the 20th century
The MAMES in Mandas is a museum of classic cars and presents a tour covering the arrival of the automobile in Sardinia and the development of mobility in the 20th century. The museum is described as the first museum of its kind in Sardinia.
For your travel planning, Mandas can therefore be explored according to different interests. Archaeological complexes and Nuragic ruins stand alongside churches, monastic complexes and homes from past centuries. Museums focus on finds, sacred art, feudalism, rural everyday life and the history of mobility. The station at Largo Lawrence adds a distinctive element and makes the railway tradition a visible part of the townscape.
Other destinations in the same travel area
Other destinations in the same travel area include Armungia, Quartu Sant'elena, Domus De Maria, San Nicolò Gerrei, San Vito, Costa Rei, Notteri and Perd'e Sali.
For the higher-level travel overview: Cagliari.
