Decimoputzu and the Campidano di Cagliari
Overview of Decimoputzu
Decimoputzu (Dèximu Putzu in Sardinian) is a lowland agricultural municipality situated south of the Campidano plain, framed by the hilly elevations of Monte Idda, Fanaris, and Gutturugionis. The territory is crossed by the Flumini Mannu and Rio Mannu rivers, making it exceptionally fertile and renowned for high-quality artichoke and tomato production. The town is a member of the National Association of Raw Earth Cities (Città della Terra Cruda).
Origins & History: The name reflects its Roman origins along the tenth mile of the A Karalibus Sulcos road (Ad Decimum), paired with Putzu (“wells”) due to the area’s water abundance. Prehistoric and Nuragic presence is attested by Monte Idda, the Su Casteddu de Fanaris nuragic fortress, and the Sant’Iroxi hypogeum. In medieval times, it belonged to the Giudicato of Cagliari within the Gippi curatoria, later passing to Pisan, Aragonese, and Spanish noble houses (Gherardesca, Alagon, De Silva) until 1839.
Key Sites & Cultural Highlights:
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Parish Church of Nostra Signora delle Grazie: Built in the mid-16th century in Catalan-Gothic style over an earlier 12th-century church dedicated to Saint Peter.
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Church of San Giorgio Megalomartire: Built in the 11th–12th century in Pisan-Romanesque style by Victorine monks on the Sant’Iroxi hill. It incorporates fragments of Roman mosaic flooring and houses a 16th-century polyptych altarpiece. Behind the church lies a vaulted Byzantine-era rock-cut tomb.
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Sant’Iroxi Hypogeum (Tomb of the Warriors): Discovered in 1987 beneath the town’s school gymnasium, this subterranean burial site yielded 180 individuals interred across multiple chronological strata alongside an exceptional collection of arsenical-copper daggers and nineteen large bronze swords dating to the Bonnanaro culture (Early Bronze Age).
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Su Casteddu de Fanaris: A massive southern Sardinian nuragic fortress complex featuring a multi-towered bastion, cyclopean walls, and surrounding settlement remains.
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Sa Perda Sì Menhirs: A group of anthropomorphic pre-historic menhirs dating to the Middle Neolithic, featuring simple monolithic pillars and cup-mark carvings.