Castiadas
Castiadas: a municipality in the province of South Sardinia
Castiadas is a scattered municipality with a population of approximately 1672 inhabitants located in the province of South Sardinia, Italy. The territory of Castiadas hosts several historical testimonies of pre-Nuragic, Nuragic, Punic and Roman civilizations.
History of Castiadas
Castiadas was founded in the 14th century when the village of Villanova Castiadas was founded by people fleeing from the plague and malaria outbreaks of the time. In 1866, the Castiadas area was reclaimed with the opening of a penal colony, closed definitively in the 1950s. After World War II, Castiadas experienced an expansion phase thanks to the influence of the ETFAS (Land and Agricultural Transformation Agency of Sardinia), which led to the birth of the Annunziata and Olia Speciosa hamlets and the valorization of those of Sabadi, Ortedusu, and San Pietro.
Symbols of Castiadas
The coat of arms and the flag of the municipality of Castiadas were granted by decree of the President of the Republic on April 8, 1999. The flag is a yellow cloth.
Monuments and places of interest in Castiadas
Castiadas offers many tourist attractions such as the church of San Basilide, the Cala Pira tower, and the former penal colony. The area is rich in natural beauty and beaches such as Santa Giusta beach, Cala Sant'Elmo, Cannisoni beach, Cala Sinzias, Cala Pira, and San Pietro beach (also known as Cala Marina).
Society
Castiadas has recorded a slight increase in its population in recent years. As of December 31, 2015, foreign residents in the municipality of Castiadas were 49, equivalent to about 3% of the total population. The most represented nationalities are German and Tunisian.
Language and traditions of Castiadas
The variant of the Sardinian language spoken in Castiadas is the Campidanese Sardinian language. The patron saint of the village is Saint John the Baptist, who is celebrated during the last weekend of June. The Assumption feast, on the other hand, is celebrated on August 15.
Anthropological geography of Castiadas
Castiadas is a scattered municipality which includes several hamlets, among which are Camisa and L'Annunziata, which until 1986 belonged to the municipality of Villaputzu.
