Stories

Mangiabarche Lighthouse

One of the most visited attractions in the Sulcis Iglesiente is a rock that has sunk the boats of experienced sailors and pirates, located not far from the Tonnara coast, north-west of Sant'Antioco, in the municipality of Calasetta.

Punta Mangiabarche owes its name to this reputation. A small lighthouse, active since 1935, stands there to prevent boats from running aground on the surrounding rocks.

In winter, strong winds generate waves as high as the lighthouse, creating a rough and wild spectacle. In summer, it becomes a quiet guardian over the Sardinian Sea, romantic and unique.

Even though its history is full of danger, there is no need to worry: thanks to the skipper's experience, you can admire it safely and enjoy its solitary charm.

Pinna Nobilis

A few years ago in Andalusia, the first signs of what became an unprecedented ecological phenomenon across the Mediterranean were recorded: the widespread die-off of Pinna nobilis, commonly known as the noble pen shell, which is slowly leading it towards extinction.

It is a filter-feeding mollusc which, although edible, is extremely dangerous to eat because it accumulates pollutants and pathogens from the sea. It can reach one metre in length and often lives among Posidonia oceanica meadows, from shallow water down to about 40 metres.

Like many marine molluscs, it produces filaments to anchor itself to the seabed. These fibres were once used, especially in Sardinia, to produce byssus, the precious "sea silk".

The oldest city in Europe

The oldest city in Italy and Europe is not Rome, but a town once called Sulky: today's Sant'Antioco, in our beloved Sulcis Iglesiente.

This has been studied and confirmed by archaeologists, who found and analysed a Phoenician ceramic amphora dating back to around 800 BC.

This means that even before the foundation of Rome in 753 BC, Sulky already existed as a city and was an important commercial site connected with the East.