Iglesias' history is tightly linked to the mining industry. As a matter of fact, more than one archaeological site proves that the mining resources were an attractive force for populations interested in trading including the Phoenicians, the Punics and the Romans.
Thanks to its mining, the so-called Villa di Chiesa became the most important city in southern Sardinia, after its capital Cagliari.
Beginning at the end of the century, the mining industry's deep crisis caused a search for a new balance and today, there is an attempt to establish a new economy based on tourism.
The territory still offers a rich wooden and botanical patrimony, despite its past mining activity. About 3600 hectares, the vast Marganai area, is entirely covered by a thick, oak forest, sometimes impervious even to sunlight. It preserves endemic species of great naturalistic and scientific interest. All of these species can be found in the Botanical Garden "Linasia" recently opened in the heart of Marganai.
Covering about 9000 square meters, the Garden Linasia offers visitors and experts alike, numerous specimen difficult to find in nature because they are rare and live on steep, inaccessible slopes.
Inside the Garden you'll also find a small museum where Marganai's fauna are exhibited.
The Garden is open Monday through Friday from 7am - 6pm and 10.30am - 6pm holidays.
The coasts.
The western side of Iglesias' territory is flanked by the Mediterranean sea and its coasts are only 10 minutes from the city. The coastline going from Fontanamare beach to
Cala Domestica beach is considered one of the most magnificent in all of Italy. From Fontanamare, the coast becomes rocky and multicoloured. A safe scenic route, amongst steep slopes, allows us admire the wonderful, massive stacks broken away from the coastline about five hundred million years ago.
The most famous of them is
Pan di Zucchero, a 132 m high rock that was declared a national monument.
Along the way to
Nebida, evidence of the past mining activity is quite clear and includes very charming sites such as the Lamarmora laveria. The laveria is delicately balanced between land and sea and can be admired from the scenic route.
Continuing further, you come across the small but fascinating
Masua beach, dominated by the imposing ramparts of Monte Nai, opposite the Pan di Zucchero.
Past the Masua and Cala Domestica beaches and sandy dunes, the coastline is accessible only by boat.
Almost half of the land here is formed by limestone and dolomites, strangely and creatively shaped by time's passing.
From a scientific point of view, the S. Barbara cave, near the San Giovanni mine, is the most interesting. It conserves barite crystals in its walls and its vault. These crystals prove that the cave is one of the oldest in the world.
A few km. from Iglesias, in Domusnovas. The San Giovanni cave is a massive underground karstic system, the most important among a myriad of other small caves and all quite interesting from an archaeological point of view. In the S. Giovanni cave, the entrance room used to be a holy place for water worshipping during the Neolithic Age.
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