The best cycling routes around Siliqua

The Umbrian pilgrimage site of Assisi has produced two important figures: "Santa Chiara" also deserves to be honored alongside "San Francisco." She lived at the same time as Francis: Clare was born in (or around) 1193 and died in 1253. Her general feast day in the liturgical calendar is August 11, the day of her death, for all major Christian denominations; in addition, there are regional or religious order-specific feast days. Besides the church dedicated to her, there are two significant places in Assisi itself where one can follow in her footsteps: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the center of Assisi (see https://www.komoot.com/de-de/highlight/361280 for more information), and the Monastery of San Damiano (see https://www.komoot.com/de-de/highlight/361272), located just outside the historic city walls.

Known as the Sulcis Railway, this narrow-gauge line was built in the 1920s by the Ferrovie Meridionali Sarde (Sardinian Southern Railways) to connect the mining areas of Sulcis with coastal towns and ports of embarkation. The route passed through isolated landscapes and wooded valleys, serving villages and mines that are now partly abandoned. Today, bridges, tunnels, and disused stations remain, testifying to the era when the railway was the main means of communication for miners and goods in the southwest of the island.

The Rosas Mine, active from 1849 to 1980 for the extraction of silver-bearing galena, lead, and zinc, is now a multi-purpose museum that chronicles the mining history of the Sulcis region. A guided tour allows access to the underground tunnels and a close-up look at the restored structures, while nearby hiking trails allow visitors to explore the natural environment and traces of the mining activity. For updated hours, costs, and reservations: https://museorosasnarcao.it/.

Among the churches, the Cathedral of Santa Chiara (dating back to the 13th century), the churches of Madonna delle Grazie, Del Collegio, a Jesuit temple, and San Francesco, one of Sardinia's best-preserved and most important buildings in the Gothic-Catalan style, which houses an altarpiece dating back to 1560, are particularly worth seeing.

Beautifully painted house on a small square with a fountain.

The evocative Grotta di San Giovanni is a geological and archaeological treasure, as well as the longest vehicle-accessible cave in the world. The cave is accessible from two sides, but the ticket office and information point are located at the main, southern entrance. Entrance is permitted only during cave opening hours. Ticket prices vary depending on the type of visit. You can find all the latest information on the website: https://www.grottasangiovanni.com/.

According to legend, the Acquafredda Castle was built by the Gherardesca family, Counts of Donoratico, when they acquired southeastern Sardinia. In fact, in 1257, the fortress came into the possession of Ugolino of Donoratico, lord of the Cagliarani territory, immortalized by Dante in Canto 23 of the Inferno. However, the castle is older, as it is already mentioned in a papal bull of 1215. After Ugolino's death (1288), it passed into the possession of Pisa, then to the Aragonese (1324), and subsequently to several feudal lords until it was redeemed by Victor Amadeus III (1785). From the top of a mountain, the castle dominates the territory of Siliqua, four kilometers away. Climbing its slopes, the view sweeps from the green valley of the Cixerri to Cagliari, from the Marmilla to the Iglesias area. At dawn and dusk, their shadows extend across the valley.

Iglesiente, the region at the center of the Sardinian mining epic and of which it is the capital, derives its name. It has a population of 27,000 and is the episcopal see and heir to the ancient diocese of Sulcis. Iglesias means "churches" in Spanish. It is no coincidence that in a city with a glorious past, especially under Catalan-Aragonese rule (when it was a royal city), the celebrations surrounding the Good Friday customs stand out, recalling Spanish customs in form and color. The mystery processions on Holy Tuesday and Holy Friday are particularly impressive. Among the churches, the Cathedral of Santa Chiara (dating back to the 13th century), the churches of Madonna delle Grazie, Del Collegio, a Jesuit temple, and San Francesco, one of Sardinia's best-preserved and most important buildings in the Gothic-Catalan style, which houses an altarpiece dating back to 1560, are particularly worth seeing.