Discover the Charm of Domusnovas in Southern Sardinia
Located at the foot of Punta S. Michele (906 m), Domusnovas is a quaint village in the province of South Sardinia with a rich history.
The village’s name reflects its origins as a “villanova” established in the Middle Ages by the Pisans to support the mining economy of Iglesiente. Nestled in the most fertile and water-rich area of the Cixerri Valley, it was fortified with defensive walls and a castle near the parish church dedicated to Madonna dell’Assunta.
The parish church, featuring a modern neoromanesque facade and typical eighteenth-century Latin cross layout with barrel vaults, stands as a testament to Domusnovas’ architectural heritage.
Among its historical landmarks is possibly the oldest parish church, Saint Barbara’s Church, built near the demolished walls at the end of 1200.
Famous for its San Giovanni Caves, Domusnovas is often referred to as the town of caves. These caves, inhabited since ancient times, bear traces of Neolithic settlements, including remnants of two cyclopean walls that once guarded the entrance to San Giovanni Cave until their demolition in the nineteenth century.
