Discover Ploaghe

Ploaghe lies on the southwestern slope of Monte San Matteo in Logudoro. The mountain is a volcano that has been extinct for thousands of years. The town’s attractions include Nuragic settlements, medieval churches, art, crafts and Easter traditions. This variety offers several starting points for planning your trip: you can explore early settlement, study architectural history, or learn about traditions and crafts.

Nuragic Traces and Landscape

Ploaghe’s landscape includes walls of volcanic origin as well as megalithic walls dating back to the Nuragic culture. There are around 76 Nuragic settlements in the municipality. Most are located on plateaus and are considered authentic Nuragic villages. Their approximate number and distribution across the plateaus give Nuragic settlement a distinctive place alongside the later churches and works of art. Ploaghe also has suitable places for excursions and walks.

Churches and Architectural History

From 1090 to 1503, San Pietro Apostolo was the cathedral of the medieval Diocese of Ploaghe. Its architectural history can be traced across different periods: in the 15th century, the church had two naves and a late Gothic design. A third nave was added at the end of the 17th century, imitating the original style. San Pietro thus draws attention both to its long role as a cathedral and to changes made over different centuries.

The Capuchin monastery of Ploaghe was founded in 1651 and consecrated together with the church in 1659. The sanctuary of San Michele di Salvenero has an older history: it was built at the end of the 11th century. The ruins of the former Vallombrosian monastery are preserved around the church of San Michele di Salvenero. The church, sanctuary and monastery ruins offer different perspectives on the town’s religious history, without conflating their dates of origin.

Art, Fountains and Crafts

Ploaghe’s art gallery is housed in the Oratorio del Rosario. It contains paintings dating from the 14th to the 19th century, from the 19th-century collection of Canon Giovanni Spano. The monumental cemetery preserves 39 tomb inscriptions in Logudorese and three in Italian, on white marble plaques. It is near the church of San Paolo. The languages and the material of the plaques give the inscriptions a tangible place among Ploaghe’s cultural attractions.

Funtana Manna can also be understood through its design and its model: it is a monumental basin made of walls of dressed stone and follows the design of Rosello, the 17th-century fountain in Sassari. The colors used in Ploaghe’s handcrafted carpets were, and still are, obtained locally from wild plants. These include saffron, alder, pomegranate peel, mastic leaves and elderflower. The origins of the colors used are an interesting topic in their own right, alongside the finished carpet.

Easter Traditions and Trip Planning

Religious traditions take place on two different days during the Easter period. On Good Friday, the crucifixion ceremony known as “ingravamentu” is held in the church of San Pietro. It is followed by “des'isgravamentu”, the ceremony in which the cross is taken down. On Easter Sunday, the statues of the resurrected Christ and the Madonna meet in Ploaghe as part of the “s’incontru” rite; they are carried by members of the local confraternities. If you would like to plan your trip around these celebrations, check the specific event dates in advance.

You can focus on different themes according to your interests: the plateaus and Nuragic settlements represent early settlement, while San Pietro, the Capuchin monastery and San Michele di Salvenero offer different connections to church history. Paintings, inscriptions, fountains and carpet-making add art and crafts to the picture. This gives you several different themes to choose from when planning your stay in Ploaghe.

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Go to the main travel overview: Sassari.