Marmilla Castle

The Marmilla Castle at Las Plassas is mentioned as one of the most important historical buildings in the area. What is left now is just the remains of the building, which hint at the leading role played by the Castle during the terrible medieval wars.

Even from a distance, you can feel an aura of charm and mystery that is enhanced once you climb to the top of the hill where the Castle stands.

The first documentation that attests the presence of the Castle is dated between 1168 and 1172 when King Barisone I of Arborea, to obtain the title of King of Sardinia (Rex Sardinae) by Federico Barbarossa, cedes the castles of Arcuentu and Marmilla to Genoa (1172-1195). Together with the castles of Arcuentu and Monreale, it was part of the fortified line between the Kingdom of Arborea and that of Càlari; its strategic importance was given not only by the southern garrison of the Arborean Kingdom but also by the protection of the communication route along the Flumini Mannu and the productive plain of Campidano, rich in cereals and legumes.

The fortress was built in a hexagonal shape with accurately-squared limestone blocks. Based on the few extant remains and using our imagination, we can retrace the original layout of the interiors, conjuring up the size of the garrison quarters, the stores, the place in which wheat was stored, or the guardhouse.

The excavations that have been carried out in the Castle over time have unearthed fragments of the architectural decorations and weapons, pottery and remnants of food. Some of these precious finds are now in the MudA, the Castle’s Museum, which helps us trace the historical events that have made this specimen of a castle so essential for the local population.