Sardinia · Oristano
Santu Lussurgiu
A Montiferru village at 503 meters where the Carnival horse race runs through a steep stone street and saddlery has been made since 1923.
- Best time
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
- By car
- 1 h 50 min from Cagliari
- Population
- 2,215
Known for
SA CARRELA
Carnival horse race down a steep stone street, alongside the Sartiglia and the Ardia one of the great Sardinian equestrian events.
SADDLERY
Spanu saddlery on the Corso, in operation since 1923, makers of the narrow Lussurgese horse collar designed for racing.
MONTIFERRU
Extinct volcano that defines the inland Oristano province, with oak woods, waterfalls, and the Bue Rosso cattle breed.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
- J11°
- F13°
- M14°
- A17°
- M21°
- J27°
- J32°
- A31°
- S26°
- O21°
- N16°
- D12°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
The festa: San Lussorio, 21 August
Why come
Santu Lussurgiu sits at 503 meters on the eastern slope of the Montiferru, the extinct volcano that defines the inland Oristano province. The village was named for Lussorio, a Roman soldier martyred in 303 under Diocletian. Horses are the second name.
The Giudicato of Arborea and the later Spanish viceroys both increased local breeding, and the village developed lines suited to racing. Sa Carrela 'e Nanti, the Carnival horse race, runs across the last three days of Carnival each year, masked riders in pairs galloping down a steep stone street, an event placed alongside the Sartiglia of Oristano and the Ardia of Sedilo among the deep events of Sardinian folklore. The Spanu saddlery opened on the Corso in 1923 and is still run by the family.
The narrow Lussurgese horse collar, with a single row of bells, was designed for the racing gallop. The village rises into the Montiferru woods, with the Sos Molinos waterfalls a short drive uphill.
The Sunday letter
Santu Lussurgiu is on our list. Its letter is still to come.
We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Santu Lussurgiu comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.
How to get there
From Cagliari (CAG), about 2 hours by car.
Coming by train into Sassari? Santu Lussurgiu is about 1h 28m away by road.
What to see
Sa Carrela 'e Nanti
Carnival horse race down a steep stone street, masked riders in pairs, held over the last three days of Carnival each year.
Museo della Tecnologia Contadina
Ethnographic museum of rural Montiferru life, tools and crafts of the village before mechanization, in the centro storico.
Chiesa parrocchiale di Santa Maria degli Angeli
Parish church of the village, the religious anchor of the medieval centro storico on the Montiferru slope.
Cascate di Sos Molinos
Waterfalls in the oak woods above the village, on the upper Riu Maiore, a short drive uphill from the centro storico.
Centro storico e selleria Spanu
Stone village laid out on the Montiferru slope, with the Spanu saddlery on the Corso in continuous operation since 1923.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Santu Lussurgiu fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
We recommend
Where to eat
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
Antica Dimora del GruccioneTrattoria
Antica Dimora del Gruccione has two Gambero Rosso prawns to its name.
Through the year
What happens here
Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.
Artes e Saboresfood festival
usually held in November. Sagre Autentiche - Sardegna
Living here
- Population 2,215
- In-betweeni
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Nearest airport Cagliari, 2 h 4 min drive
- Regional capital Cagliari, 1 h 51 min drive
Common questions
- What is Santu Lussurgiu known for?
- Santu Lussurgiu is a Montiferru village at 503 meters where the Carnival horse race runs through a steep stone street and saddlery has been made since 1923.
- Where is Santu Lussurgiu?
- Santu Lussurgiu is a comune in the province of Oristano, in Sardinia.
- What is the nearest airport to Santu Lussurgiu?
- Cagliari (CAG), about 2 hours by car.
- When is the best time to visit Santu Lussurgiu?
- Best in Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov. July is the warmest month, averaging 32 degrees, and December the wettest, with about 12 rain days.
- Is there a sagra or a festival in Santu Lussurgiu?
- Yes. Artes e Sabores. November is when the first of them falls.
- Which other towns are like Santu Lussurgiu?
- Barumini, Orroli and Cuglieri.
- How many people live in Santu Lussurgiu?
- 2,215 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 503 m
- Population: 2,215
- Surface area: 99.8 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
Similar
Towns like Santu Lussurgiu
Barumini
Province: Sud Sardegna
both inland in Sardinia · both under 3,000 people
Orroli
Province: Sud Sardegna
both inland in Sardinia · both under 3,000 people
Cuglieri
Province: Oristano
both inland in Sardinia · both under 3,000 people
Aggius
Province: Sassari
both inland in Sardinia · both under 3,000 people
Taverna
Province: Catanzaro
both under 3,000 people · both hill towns
Pietramontecorvino
Province: Foggia
both under 3,000 people · both hill towns
💎 Borghi Autentici
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Aggius
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Cuglieri
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Province: Oristano
A Marmilla village at 129 meters where a 17th-century Capuchin convent houses fossils, minerals, and volcanic history.