Just below the Castello, the medieval Chiesa di Santa Maria is a much-loved church, venerated for its 14th-century crucifix. One of the oldest in Sardinia, it's known as Lu Cristu Nieddhu (Black Christ) because of the colour the juniper wood has taken on over the centuries. According to local lore, the crucifix helped the townsfolk beat off an attack by a French fleet in 1527.
Chiesa di Santa Maria
Northwestern Sardinia
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
26.49 MILES
About 2.5km north of Stintino, the Spiaggia della Pelosa is a dreamy image of beach perfection: a salt-white strip of sand lapped by shallow, turquoise…
25.46 MILES
Named after its resident asini bianchi (albino donkeys), the Isola dell'Asinara encompasses 51 sq km of macchia (Mediterranean scrub), rocky coastline and…
-
15.34 MILES
Sassari's premier museum, housed in a grand Palladian villa, has a comprehensive archaeological collection and an ethnographical section dedicated to…
-
16.26 MILES
Signposted off the SS131 between Sassari and Porto Torres, Monte d’Accoddi is a unique Neolithic temple. Unlike anything else in the Mediterranean basin …
-
15.27 MILES
Sassari’s largest piazza is one of Sardinia’s most impressive public spaces. Covering about a hectare, it is surrounded by imposing 19th-century buildings…
-
Museo Etnografico ‘Olivia Carta Cannas’
18.55 MILES
Aggius is famous for its carpets, with a tradition dating back to the 1900s, when 4000 looms were busy in the area. This excellent museum showcases a fine…
29.79 MILES
One of the largest nuraghic sites in Sardinia, the Nuraghe Santu Antine sits 4km south of Torralba. The complex is focused on a central tower, which now…
17.27 MILES
Porto Torres' modern, workaday streets provide the unlikely setting for Sardinia’s largest Romanesque church. Built between 1030 and 1080, the basilica is…
Nearby Northwestern Sardinia attractions
1. Museo dell’Intreccio del Mediterraneo
0.05 MILES
Housed in Castelsardo's medieval castle, this small museum is dedicated to the basket weaving for which the town is famous.
0.06 MILES
Lording it over the hilltop centro storico is the medieval Castello, the centrepiece around which the original town was built. Constructed in the 12th…
3. Cattedrale di Sant’Antonio Abate
0.06 MILES
Announcing the presence of the cathedral is its landmark bell tower, topped by a brightly tiled cupola. The cathedral itself, which sits on a panoramic…
2.54 MILES
From Castelsardo, the SS134 Sedini road leads to one of the area’s most lovable landmarks, the Roccia dell’Elefante, a bizarre trachyte rock that looks…
2.8 MILES
In a field off the SP90 road from Castelsardo to Valledoria, the Nuraghe Paddaggiu (meaning haystack in Sardo) was one of the last nuraghi to be built…
6. Chiesa di Nostra Signora di Tergu
3.14 MILES
Tergu, a small village 10km or so south of Castelsardo, is home to this fine 12th-century Romanesque church. Built out of wine-red trachyte and white…
5.96 MILES
About 15km east of Castelsardo, the sprawling town of Valledoria is fronted by beaches that stretch more than 10km east to the small fishing village of…
7.26 MILES
Head to the small, sleepy town of Sedini to see one of the area's best-known domus de janas (prehistoric tombs). Gouged out of a huge calcareous rock…