Sedini and Martis
map of Sedini and Martis
Sedini
The hinterland of Castelsardo invites you to pleasant round trips.
The landscape is quite beautiful and varied. Only a few tourists venture here from their seaside holiday resorts, and the roads are very low in traffic.
Coming from Castelsardo, the road winds up to a plateau, on the southern edge of which lies the village of Sedini.
The village has its own unique charm, as many of the old houses are built against or into the existing rocks.
Sa Rocca
The main attraction of Sedini is the “Sa Rocca” – a limestone block at the exit of the village towards Martis.
Inside, there are several burial chambers (domus de janas) from the early history of Sardinia.
These chambers were later expanded and converted into living spaces.
This created a rock with numerous window openings, a bit of masonry, and several entrances.
In more recent times, a house number was even added.
The interior of the “building” can be visited as part of a guided tour organized by a local cooperative.
You can learn extensively about the history of the rock. An ethnographic exhibition displays typical tools and objects from the traditional rural life of the area.
San Pietro di Simbranos
If you drive from Sedini to Martis, you will see one of the most beautiful Pisan country churches in Sardinia shortly after Bulzi. (see map)
Like almost all churches from the Pisan era, this one also stands alone in the landscape, far from the nearest villages.
The church was built in the 11th century and expanded two centuries later by Benedictine monks. These monks from Monte Cassino gave the building its present appearance.
The beautiful zebra stripes were created by using different building materials – white limestone and reddish-brown trachyte.
The interior is very simple, but the church is rarely open.
Martis
Coming from Sedini, the “San Pantaleo” church catches your eye at the entrance to the town.
The late Romanesque building dates back to the 14th century. Unfortunately, it was severely damaged due to unstable ground.
Meanwhile, the church has been stabilized through extensive restoration work, so you can also visit the interior.
The bell tower can be climbed, but the staircase is very narrow, and at the top, it continues with a very narrow ladder.
Petrified Forest “Foresta Pietrificata”
On a large meadow spread over a wide area lie the remains of trees that sank and petrified about 250 million years ago.
You can even see the annual rings on many trunks.
The place has now been transformed into a park-like area and is well signposted at the edge of Martis.
On the hill stands a wooden artwork that is supposed to produce sounds under certain wind conditions. Unfortunately, we didn’t hear anything during our visit.
Down in the valley, there are nice shady picnic areas.
Cascata di Triulintas
This pretty waterfall is still a real insider tip and is little known to tourists.
I could only discover a single signpost.
It is situated in a lovely green oasis in a narrow gorge surrounded by rocky walls.
Even in the height of summer, the stream carries enough water for the approximately 15-meter-high cascade.
The water power was formerly used for a mill. The remains of its foundations are still clearly visible.
How to get there: First, take the road towards Nulvi and turn right 50 meters after the exit sign of Martis. After 500 meters, you will cross the Palau-Sassari railway line. The somewhat passable path then makes a sharp right turn after another 400 meters. Leave your vehicle here. On the left, a beautiful, shady hiking trail leads to the waterfall in about 10 minutes. (see map)