Among academics and cultural travelers, Sardinia is famous for its thousands of open-air archaeological sites. But you will be surprised to know that several fantastic museums in Sardinia are just waiting to be discovered, explored, and appreciated.
From the houses of important figures to collections gathered from archaeological diggings to historical palaces, you can find plenty of indoor landmarks to explore in Sardinia. These are perfect in any season, so whether it’s too hot or rainy outside.
Let’s dive in and find the best museums in Sardinia to visit from north to south!
National Archaeological Museum, Cagliari
Cagliari‘s Museo Archeologico is one of the most important and largest museums in Sardinia of its kind. It’s one of the exhibition venues of Cagliari’s National Museums and is located in the central Castello neighborhood, the city’s historic center.
With over 4,000 objects from a timeline spanning almost 7,000 years, from prehistory to the early Middle Ages. Some of the objects you will find in this amazing exhibition include Nuragic bronzes, Phoenician jewels, Roman statues, and even religious artifacts from the Byzantine era.
- Address: Piazza Arsenale 1, Cagliari.
- Website.
National Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum “Giovanni Antonio Sanna”, Sassari
Sassari’s National Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum “Giovanni Antonio Sanna” is the most important exhibition of this kind in northern Sardinia. Its archaeological and ethnographic finds tell the stories of a crossroad of civilizations, from prehistoric times to the twentieth century.
This museum is divided into two main topics, archaeological and ethnographic exhibitions, and each of them, is into specific periods and subjects. So in the archaeological area, you will have rooms for prehistoric, Nuragic, Roman, and medieval times. In the ethnographic section, you will have displays for every area of Sardinian culture including traditional costumes, jewelry, pottery, fabrics, working tools, and more.
- Address: Via Roma 64.
- Website.
Museo del Corallo, Alghero
You might think that this is a jewelry exhibition but this couldn’t be further from the truth. There is so much to see and learn about this marine creature that I was very pleased I had decided to visit.
This is a small museum so you can spend an hour on it, but it’s definitely one of the highlights I suggest visiting in Alghero. You will learn about how coral is deeply entangled in Alghero’s society and culture, how it’s fished, and the many ways locals use it, including making wonderful jewelry.
- Address:
- Website.
Museo del Costume, Nuoro
I can’t even begin to state how much I loved wandering around the halls and sections of this museum. I suggest planning at least two hours to visit this museum because you will be traveling through Sardinia’s history, society, and local traditions.
This museum offers a truly complete and exhaustive journey across the local culture in all its aspects and facets from work to food to textiles.
- Address: Via Antonio Mereu 56, Nuoro.
- Website.
Casa di Grazia Deledda (Museo Deleddiano), Nuoro
I loved this museum in Sardinia. It’s located in the very walkable city center of Nuoro and is a beautiful journey into the past of the city and the island. Through the life of Literature Nobel Prize winner Grazia Deledda, in fact, you will have a fascinating glimpse into the old lifestyle in Sardinia, the social layers, and also the place of women in the local society.
Through the rooms, the architectural style, the household, and the documents on display, a hard reality comes out. One where even a talented writer like Grazia Deledda had to fight her way to the realm of the city’s greatest intellectuals.
- Address: Via Grazia Deledda 42.
- Website.
Casa Museo di Antonio Gramsci, Ghilarza
This is the house where Italian politician and writer Antonio Gramsci, co-founder of the Italian Communist Party, grew up. It’s located on the main road of the village and it doesn’t take too long to visit but I suggest you do because it’s one of the main highlights in Ghilarza.
During your visit, you will see rooms like his bedroom upstairs and where the kitchen was, along with the small courtyard with the oven. There is also a room now devoted to his books and the many that were written about him.
*Update* – The house is currently under renovation. Visitors can enter the museum set up by the “Associazione Antonio Gramsci” right across the street.
- Address: Corso Umberto 57.
- Website.
See why Ghilarza is your best base in Sardinia!
Archaeological Museum Genna Maria, Villanovaforru
The Archaeological Museum of the town of Villanovaforru is one of the most famous museums in Sardinia. It collects all the pieces found during the excavations in the surrounding territory, particularly rich in prehistoric findings thanks to the discovery of the Nuraghe Genna Maria.
Villanovaforru is a small town of only 600 people and it might look like there is nothing to see, but its surroundings are so rich in archaeological findings that it’s rightly home to one of the best permanent exhibitions of ancient artifacts, objects, and tools in Sardinia.
- Address: Piazza Costituzione 4, Villanovaforru.
- Website.
Casa Zapata, Barumini
Casa Zapata is a notable palace built on top of a Nuraghe. It’s an amazing museum in the town of Barumini in southern Sardinia, the same town that is home to one of the most important archaeological sites on the island, Su Nuraxi Nuragic complex.
I strongly suggest visiting Casa Zapata after you tour Su Nuraxi Nuragic village because it will complete your experience adding great value to your archaeological trip. Consider that you will be walking on top of a nuraghe while learning about the local history through the ancient objects and tools on display.
- Address: Piazza Papa Giovanni XXIII, Barumini.
- Website.
Archaeological and Historical Artistic Museum Antiquarium Arborense, Oristano
This is the main museum of the city of Oristano in central Sardinia and showcases important artifacts, objects, tools, and decorative art collected around the territory and during archaeological excavations.
The Antiquarium Arborense Museum of Oristano is divided into several rooms and sections and each of them has a theme. This is why I suggest carving out at least an hour to visit it.
- Address: Portico Giovanni Corrias
- Website.
Museo Civico Giovanni Marongiu, Cabras
Famous for showcasing the Giants’ of Mount Prama, this museum is located near the Sinis Peninsula and collects the finds of the archeological excavations in the territory, including the important ancient city of Tharros and Mount Prama, where they found the Giants.
This is an area extremely rich in archaeological findings and this museum collects several of the colossal statues found in Mount Prama representing boxers, warriors, and archers and providing a great insight into the society of prehistoric Sardinia.
Apart from the Giants of Mont’e Prama, the museum is home to other relics such as pottery, Nuragic bronzes, small statues of Mother Goddess, and objects from a shipwreck found in the sea bottom around the Isle of Malu Entu.
- Address: Via Tharros, Cabras.
- Website.
Archaeological Museum, Olbia
This is one of the most important museums in Sardinia. Set in a contemporary building, it showcases the entire history of the ancient city of Olbia and the territory around it. Displaying relics, art, and objects from prehistory to the 19th century, it’s the city’s most important museum of its kind.
You will find a large collection of relics dating to the Phoenician, Greek, Punic and Roman phases of the urban and port areas, including the Roman and medieval wrecks found in the excavation of the ancient port, the current seafront promenade of Olbia’s historic center.
- Address: Via Isola Peddone, Olbia.
- Website.
Museo delle Maschere Mediterranee, Mamoiada
The town of Mamoiada in the Barbagia area of the Nuoro province is famous for its Mamuthone masks. Local townspeople wear them on specific occasions such as the festival of Saint Anthony in January, for Carnival, and some other traditional occurrences even in summer despite the whole costume being so heavy.
The town of Mamoiada often invites other masks from other areas in Sardinia and even other European countries for a shared parade. They have always been committed to such cultural exchanges and are proud of their traditions, so it was only natural for them to open this interesting museum devoted to all the masks of the Mediterranean area and also countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Along with displaying them, they also explain their history and their rituals.
- Address: Piazza Europa 15, Mamoiada.
- Website.
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