Castiadas
Castiadas: a brief history
Castiadas is an Italian municipality located in the province of South Sardinia. The area where the present-day settlement stands dates back to the pre-Nuragic and Nuragic periods, but there are also traces of Phoenician and Roman occupation. During the Middle Ages, Castiadas was part of the Kingdom of Cagliari and then of the Kingdom of Gallura, Pisa, and the Crown of Aragon. In the fourteenth century, the village of Villanova Castiadas was founded. However, it was abandoned in the sixteenth century due to frequent outbreaks of the plague and cases of malaria that afflicted citizens. During the nineteenth century, the area was reclaimed to erect a penitentiary colony, which was closed in the 1950s and transformed into a museum in recent years. In the post-war period, the municipality of Muravera played a significant role in the growth of the Castiadas territory through the Land and Agricultural Transformation Agency of Sardinia. In 1986, Castiadas became an independent municipality, with the aggregation of some fractions that were previously part of the Villaputzu, San Vito, and Muravera municipalities.
Symbols of Castiadas
The coat of arms and the banner of the municipality of Castiadas were granted by decree of the President of the Republic in 1999. The banner is a yellow flag.
Monuments and places of interest
Among the religious architectures, we remember the Church of San Basilide, while among the military ones we find the Tower of Cala Pira and the former penitentiary colony. Among the areas of natural interest, there are numerous beaches, including Santa Giusta Beach, Cala Sant'Elmo, Cannisoni Beach, San Pietro Beach (also known as Cala Marina), Cala Sìnzias, and Cala Pira.
Society
Foreign residents in Castiadas represent about 3% of the total population of the municipality (49), with the most represented nationalities being:
- Citizenship: Population
- 1: France: 13
- 2: Germany: 10
In the variety of Sardinian language spoken in Castiadas, western Campidanese prevails. The main patron saint festivals are dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, celebrated on the last weekend of June, and the Assumption, on August 15th.
Anthropical geography
Castiadas is a scattered municipality, composed of several hamlets, including Camisa and L'Annunziata, which were part of the Villaputzu municipality until 1986. The municipality's territory extends over an area of 86.44 km² with a population density of about 13 inhabitants/km².
In summary, Castiadas is a municipality with an ancient and suggestive history, with many traces of the past. The territory of the municipality is very diverse, with beautiful beaches and military architectures to visit. The demography is essentially made up of Sardinians, who speak the western Campidanese language. Finally, the patron saint festivals are an important opportunity to enjoy local culture and traditions.
