5 Best Sights in Sardinia, Italy

Olbia's little basilica, a short walk from the main Corso Umberto I, is the city's unmissable sight. The simple granite structure dates from the 11th century, part of the great Pisan church-building program, using pillars and columns recycled from Roman buildings. The basilica has a bare, somewhat somber interior; its three naves are separated by a series of Romanesque arches, and fragments of frescoes are visible behind the altar. Recent renovations of the monument have unearthed the remains of a Greek and Roman necropolis, which is now open to the public (the entrance is in the car park beneath the piazza).

The Cattedrale di Santa Maria, also known as the Duomo, was begun in the 12th century, but major renovation in the 17th century and reconstruction during the mid-1930s have left little of the original medieval church. The tiers of columns on the facade resemble those of medieval Romanesque Pisan churches, but only sections of the central portal, the bell tower, and the two side entrances are from the 13th century. Look for one of the most memorable features inside—the oversize marble pulpit sculpted in the 1300s and divided in half to fit into the church nave; it now lies on either side of the main entrance.

The highly ornate stone Duomo is Sassari's must-see sight. The cathedral, dedicated to St. Nicolas (of Santa Claus inspiration), took more than half a millennium to build: the foundations were laid in the 12th century, and the Spanish colonial–style facade was completed in the 18th. Of particular interest in the plainer interior are the ribbed Gothic vaults, the 14th-century painting of the Madonna del Bosco on the high altar, and the early-19th-century tomb of Placido Benedetto di Savoia, the uncle of united Italy's first king. Look out, too, for the candelieri displayed in the lateral chapels here—10-foot-tall wooden candlesticks which, festooned with ribbons and flowers, are carried through the streets of Sassari every August 14th by members of the local guilds in one of the city's major festivals.

Just before the entrance of Tharros, you'll see the small, squat, and pink-domed church of San Giovanni di Sinis, dating from the 11th century. The simplicity of its bare and perfectly preserved interior, with three low-vaulted naves lit by tiny window apertures, offers a fascinating insight into the religious practises of the time.

Behind its inappropriate modern frontage, the simple interior of this 11th-century church at the base of the Nora promontory retains its ancient and atmospheric character. Viewed from the rear, too, the exterior reveals its original lines. The church plays a key role in one of Sardinia's most colorful annual events—the Festa di Sant'Efisio, when a four-day procession accompanies a statue of the martyred St. Efisius all the way from Cagliari to here and back again, culminating in a huge parade of costumed Sardinians and decorated traccas (ox-drawn carriages) along Cagliari's main avenue. Try to catch this if you're in the area from May 1 to May 4 (the last day being the most spectacular).