Cabras and the Sinis Peninsula
Overview of Cabras
Cabras (Crabas in Sardinian) is a major fishing and agricultural town situated on the eastern shore
of the Cabras Lagoon (Mari Pontis). The municipality’s economy centers on lagoon fishing,
agriculture, viticulture (producing Vernaccia and Nieddera wines), tourism, and the production of
mullet cured roe known as Bottarga (“Mediterranean Caviar”).
The local culinary specialty is Sa Mrecca (or Sa Merca), an ancient dish of mullet fish boiled in
salted water and wrapped in marsh grass (Sa Zibba), a preservation technique inherited directly
from Phoenician culinary practices.
Origins & History:
The name stems from the Latin Capra (“goat”). The Sinis peninsula has a
dense prehistoric heritage, including Middle Neolithic sites (Cuccuru Is Arrius), 75 nuraghi, and the
Phoenician-Punic-Roman port city of Tharros. Cabras developed in the 11th century as coastal
residents abandoned Tharros due to Saracen raids, building settlements around the castle erected
by Donna Nivata (wife of Judge Orzocco I of Arborea).
The Giants of Mont ‘e Prama: Discovered in 1974 at Mont ‘e Prama, these sandstone sculptures
represent the oldest free-standing stone statues found in the western Mediterranean (dated
between the 10th and 7th centuries BC). Restored from nearly 5,000 fragments, the 38
reconstructed figures stand between 2 and 2.5 meters tall and depict archers with horned helmets,
warriors with shields, boxers with hand guards, and stone models of complex nuraghi. Traces of
red and black paint confirm the statues were originally painted.
Key Sites & Cultural Attractions:
• Giovanni Marongiu Civic Archaeological Museum: Exhibits regional artifacts from the
Sinis peninsula, including Middle Neolithic idols from Cuccuru Is Arrius, Copper and Bronze
Age items from Sa Osa, Punic stelae and urns from the Tharros Tophet, Roman shipwreck
cargoes, and a major collection of the original Mont ‘e Prama Giants.
• Parish Church of Santa Maria Vergine Assunta: Built in the late 15th century using stone
blocks salvaged from the ruined medieval Castle of Cabras. It features a single nave
expanded in the 18th century with a 25-meter-high dome and side chapels.
• Church of the Spirito Santo (Sa Cresiedda): A 1601 late-Gothic church featuring twin bell
structures—a bell-gable on the right and a square bell tower topped with a colorful maiolica
tiled dome on the left.
• Cabras Lagoon & Pontis Fishery: A 2,200-hectare wetland ecosystem rich in avian wildlife
(flamingos, herons). The 15th-century Peschiera di Pontis complex contains traditional mud
brick administrative buildings (Su Poatziu), processing workshops, and the 16th-century mud
brick Chapel of San Vincenzo.
• Torre di Su Pottu (Torre del Porto): A 16th-century Spanish coastal watchtower constructed
from sandstone, guarding the southern outlet of the Cabras Lagoon.
• Cuccuru Is Arrius Prehistoric Site: A submerged island site on the lagoon’s edge
containing nineteen 4th-millennium BC oven-shaped hypogeum tombs (Bonu Ighinu culture)
that yielded famous geometric terracotta “Mother Goddess” statuettes.
• Solanas Hamlet: An agricultural hamlet incorporating the modern Church of San Pietro
Apostolo, an ancient 16th-century predecessor with a maiolica-tiled bell tower dome, and a
historical 9-basin public washhouse.