Marmilla

Marmilla is a natural region of southern-central

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. Etymology The name "Marmilla" comes from the vast rounded hills, probably resembling udders (see Marmilla castle in Las Plassas). Another hypothesis is that according to which given the presence of many marshes in the area, the landscape could appear dotted with "a thousand seas". Tourism in the Marmilla can rely on various factors ranging from environmental assets, to the numerous Nuragic centers in the area, to architectural works. In particular, we note: Environmental assets: Giara of Gesturi Monte Arci Natural Park Nuragic centers: Nuragic village of Su Nuraxi in Barumini, Nuraghe Cuccurada in Mogoro, Archaeological Area Nuraghe Sa Fogaia in Siddi Tomb of the Giants "Sa Domu e s'Orcu" in Siddi Genna Maria complex in Villanovaforru, Su Mulinu Fortress in Villanovafranca, Nuragic sanctuary of Santa Vittoria in Serri. Architectural works Romanesque churches of San Michele Arcangelo in Siddi, San Pietro in Villamar and San Giovanni Battista in Barumini Gothic parish churches of San Vito di Gergei, Santa Barbara in Genoni and Beata Vergine Immacolata in Barumini, Judicial castle of Las Plassas, Sixteenth century house Zapata di Barumini Portals of the historic houses of Simala Church with Romanesque features San Biagio (Santu Brai) di Furtei Museums: "Sa Corona Arrubuia" Museum in Lunamatrona Ornithological Museum in Siddi Obsidian Museum in Pau Monte Arci Geomuseum in Masullas Museum "The Knights of the Hills" in Masullas "Turcus and Morus" Museum in Gonnostramatza MudA Museum in Las Plassas Common It is delimited from east and south by the

Campidano Campidano ( sc, Campidànu) is a plain located in South-Western Sardinia (Italy), covering approximately 100 kilometres between Cagliari and Oristano. Geography Geologically, it is a graben, a tectonic structure formed in the mid-Pliocene/earl ...

, from north-west by

Monte Arci The Monte Arci is an isolated massif in the Uras plain in Campidano, south-western Sardinia, Italy. It is composed by three volcanic basalt towers, the highest one reaching an elevation of 812 m. The inner part of the massif is composed of ...

, from north by the

Giara di Gesturi The Giara di Gesturi, sc, Sa Jara Manna, is a high, steep-sided basaltic plateau which extends for about in the districts (comuni) of Gesturi, Tuili and Setzu in the province of Medio Campidano, and Genoni in the province of Oristano, in th ...

and the Giara di Serri, and from east by the

Flumini Mannu The Flumini Mannu is a river in southern Sardinia, Italy. Its springs are located in the hills east of Sardara. It flows into the Stagno di Cagliari The Stagno di Santa Gilla, or Stagno di Cagliari (literally ‘Pool of Cagliari’), is a coast ...

. Geologically, most of Marmilla dates to the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

period, and is thus substantially younger than the rest of Sardinia. The landscape is mostly hilly, and human economical activities in the area include agriculture (prevalently cereals and

fava bean ''Vicia faba'', commonly known as the broad bean, fava bean, or faba bean, is a species of vetch, a flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated as a crop for human consumption, and also as a cover crop. Var ...

s) and tourism. Marmilla was inhabited since prehistoric times, as testified by the presence of

nuraghe The nuraghe (, ; plural: Logudorese Sardinian , Campidanese Sardinian , Italian ), or also nurhag in English, is the main type of ancient megalithic edifice found in Sardinia, developed during the Nuragic Age between 1900 and 730 B.C. ...

. To the

Carthaginian The term Carthaginian ( la, Carthaginiensis ) usually refers to a citizen of Ancient Carthage. It can also refer to: * Carthaginian (ship), a three-masted schooner built in 1921 * Insurgent privateers; nineteenth-century South American privateers, ...

domination date the fortress of

Genoni Genoni ( sc, Geroni) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of South Sardinia in the Italian region Sardinia, located about north of Cagliari and about southeast of Oristano. Genoni borders the following municipalities: Albagiara, ...

. During the Middle Ages it was part of the

Giudicato of Arborea The Judicate of Arborea ( sc, Judicadu de Arbaree, it, Giudicato di Arborea, ) or the Kingdom of Arborea (, , ) was one of the four independent judicates into which the island of Sardinia was divided in the Middle Ages. It occupied the central ...

and of the

Giudicato of Cagliari The Judicate of Cagliari ( sc, Judicadu de Càralis / Càlaris, it, Giudicato di Cagliari) was one of the four Sardinian ''judicates'' of the Middle Ages, kingdoms of Byzantine origins. The Judicate of Cagliari covered the entire south and centra ...

. {{Coord, 39.7000, N, 8.7833, E, source:wikidata, display=title Geography of Sardinia