Escolca and the Sarcidano Region
The Historical Region of Sarcidano
The Sarcidano region stretches between the Campidano plain and the Barbagia mountains, dominated by the Laconi limestone plateau and featuring artificial lakes like Mulargia and Flumendosa.
Overview of Escolca
Escolca (Scroca in Sardinian) is a hill town in the northern part of the province of South Sardinia, nestled in a valley descending from the basaltic Giara di Serri. Its economy is anchored in agriculture, particularly the production of high-quality extra virgin olive oil and durum wheat.
Origins & History: The name reflects the old Sardinian word Iscolca or Scolca, derived from the Byzantine-Tuscan term Scolca (from the Greek Skoúlka), meaning a guard corps assigned to protect cultivated lands and livestock. Inhabited since prehistory and Roman times (with urban remains discovered in the Morellu locality), the village emerged around the parish church of Santa Cecilia. During the Middle Ages, it belonged to the Giudicato of Cagliari (Siurgus curatoria), passing later to Pisan, Aragonese, and Spanish feudal lords (Desvall, Carroz, Maza, Tellez-Giron) until 1839.
Key Sites & Cultural Highlights:
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Parish Church of Santa Cecilia Vergine e Martire: A Catalan-Gothic church featuring a continuous meronated facade, a rose window, an octagonal bell tower, and an interior with three naves divided by pointed arches. It houses a 16th-century polychrome wooden statue of Saint Cecilia and a 16th-century silver chalice.
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Sanctuary of the Vergine delle Grazie (Santa Maria de Is Bingias): A 15th/16th-century sanctuary originally belonging to Augustinian hermits and later Trinitarian friars, featuring a Gothic-decorated portal with zoomorphic and floral capitals.
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Casa Seu (Casa Museo): A restored traditional noble home serving as a Documentation Center for the history, culture, and traditions of the Sarcidano region.
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San Simone Administrative Enclave & Village: A remote rural hamlet consisting of roughly thirty traditional straw-and-mud dwellings (lollas) and a small rural church dedicated to Saint Simeon, located within an enclave surrounded by neighboring municipalities.