May
QUARTUCCIU
A
few kilometers from Cagliari, deeply attached to 
its
traditions, Quartucciu, with its undamaged and carefully guarded Campidanese
houses, is still unknown to the tourist. The outskirts of Quartucciu still offer
uncontaminated spots of great archaeological interest, all of them to be discovered:
maybe because of its descreet inhabitants, who generally avoid boasting the
beauties of the territory, maybe because Sardinians will never call the attention
of foreign people. The territory of Quartucciu is mainly a hilly region: to
the east, the mountains of the Seven Brothers give rise to the rivers Pixina
Nuxedda, San Pietro and Masungilis. Among the archaeological attractions, in
the area of Sant'Isidoro, we can find the nuraghe Nanni Arrù (where a great
deal of findings, dating back to the late Bronze Age, was discovered), the nuraghe
Piccia etc. 
A
source of pride to the village is the stately Tomb of Giants, lying in the splendid
area “Is Concas”. The attention of the municipality, in fact, is turned to this
important monument: this year too, the festival “Sa domu 'e s’orcu: ecisu antigu
in s’ùrtimu lugori de beranu” (= ancient wonder in the last moon of spring)
is going to take place on 28th May. Those who want to find peace and quiet in
country shady places can take an ideal journey through time in the valley of
“Is Concas”, where the prehistoric monument “Sa Domu 'e s’orcu” reminds you
of magic sceneries and casts the visitor into the mists of time. “Sa domu 'e
s’orcu” recalls ancestral rituals in the last moonlight of spring. The spell
of the primitive relationship between man and nature, beyond time and space,
makes one feel the presence of the protosardinians, in a valley which is still
uncontaminated by civilization. The climax of the festival will be the concert
of ethnic music, starting at 6.30 p. m. In the morning, an ecological mountain
bike trip is expected. Further information on the festival programme is given
by the Tourist Bureau of Quartucciu. Call 070859541. Quartucciu can also boast
its own cultural traditions. In its streets and shops the tourist will hear
the old Sardinian language which is still that of Olata, a great XVIII century
extemporaneous poet. Finally, as regards performance events, the visitor can
choose between the theatre performances of the famous Group Olata and the traditional
songs and dances of the local folk groups. Edited by the Assessorato al Turismo
del Comune
DOLIANOVA
In the area of Parteolla,
on the western slopes of the Sarrabus mountains, lies the important v
illage
of Dolianova. The municipality of Dolianova was established in 1905, the union
of two ancient medioeval s
uburbs:
St. Pantaleo and Sicci San Biagio. Dolianova overlooks a wide and fertile lowland
famous for its flourishing grapevines and olive trees. In the southern part
of the village the church of St. Biagio stands out. The church, surrounded by
a few traditional rural houses, preserves a late Gothic architectural structure.
To the north, there is the beautiful church devoted to St. Pantaleo, which is
of great artistic and architectural interest. Built between 1160 and 1289 on
a former place of early Christian worship, the church became the cathedral of
the suppressed diocese of Dolia. Today, it represents an important example of
Romanesque-Gothic style in Sardinia. Remarkable is the presence of the interesting,
little country church of Maria di Sibiola, in the territory of Serdiana. The
church, built in the XII century in a Romanesque style, is surrounded by the
typical “cumbessias” which were used to house the pilgrims during the yearly
country feasts. There are also remains of ancient civilizations in the territory
of Dolianova: the nuraghi of “Matta Manna” and “Brunku Ollasteddu" for instance,
and the pit-tombs of Roman age covered with big slabs. Parteolla grapevines
give some of the most appreciated wines of the island. The hills of Dolianova
are considered a privileged place for this type of production, which comes out
of a secular experience handed down from Phoenicians to Romans, from Spaniards
to Piedmontese. The vine-growers of Dolianova wrung the most hidden secrets
of tradition, in order to produce rare wines whose fame has crossed the Sardinian
frontier. Particularly famous is the production of the local Cantina Sociale,
with its D.O.C wines such as Moscato, the Nuragus di Cagliari, the Malvasia
di Cagliari, the Monica di Sardegna, the Girò di Cagliari and appreciated sparkling
wines. There is also a great demand for local dairy products (both goat and
sheep products). Olives and oil are good, too.
