text Samuele Ferrari
The best museums to visit in Sardinia
A guide to the best museums to visit in order to learn about Sardinia's history, traditions and culture
Famous worldwide for its crystal-clear sea and paradisiacal beaches, Sardinia also has a rich history to explore, with archaeological museums, contemporary art, and house museums. If you're planning an itinerary that’s off the beaten path, here’s a guide to the best museums on the island that are open all year round.
Archaeological Museum (Cagliari)
The Archaeological Museum of Cagliari is the most important archaeological museum in Sardinia, founded in the 1800s. Over the years, it has expanded its collection with valuable artifacts, and since 1993, it has been housed in the Cittadella dei Musei complex in Cagliari, which also includes the National Art Gallery and the Ethnographic Museum.
The exhibition covers a period from prehistory to the Byzantine era and the early Middle Ages. The exhibition is spread across four floors, with the first floor dedicated to a chronological journey through the civilizations and cultures that inhabited the island, from the Neolithic to the Byzantine period. A large space is dedicated to the reconstruction of the tophet of Tharros, a Phoenician-Punic sanctuary found at the archaeological site of Tharros in the province of Oristano. The next two floors feature reconstructions of important archaeological sites from the Cagliari and Oristano regions, while the fourth floor houses the Mont’e Prama statues, ancient sculptures from the Nuragic civilization. Notable artifacts include the Nuragic Boat, a typical Sardinian bronze figurine from the Bronze Age, and the Warrior Giant with a shield.
Useful Information
The museum is open Wednesday to Monday from 8:30 AM to 6:45 PM, and closed on Tuesdays.
Ticket: 9.00 EUR for adults, 4.50 EUR for reduced admission, and 2.00 EUR for young people aged 18-25.
Directions: The museum is located in the upper part of Cagliari, in the Castello district, Piazza Arsenale 1, easily reachable by bus, car, or a 15-minute walk from the city center.
Museo Archeologico Museum of Mediterranean Masks (Mamoiada)
The village of Mamoiada, located in the Barbagia region and famous for its unique carnival featuring the Mamuthones and Issohadores masks, is home to this museum dedicated to one of Sardinia’s most rooted traditions: the masks. It is one of the region’s most characteristic museums and explores the anthropological and cultural traditions of ritual and carnival masks, not only from Sardinia but also from other Mediterranean cultures. The Mamuthones and Issohadores have become symbols of Sardinia worldwide, and the Mamoiada carnival is one of the most eagerly awaited events of the year.
The exhibition is divided into two thematic areas: the first is dedicated to the Ritual Art of Barbagia, displaying both ancient and recent masks and costumes. The second part showcases masks and costumes from other Mediterranean regions, such as Portugal, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, and Slovenia, as well as from Friuli and South Tyrol. The museum is modern and interactive, with multimedia exhibits helping visitors understand the deeper meaning of the masks.
Useful Information
The museum, located in the center of Mamoiada, Piazza Europa 15, Mamoiada is open every day except Tuesday from 10 AM to 6 PM.
Ticket: 5 EUR for adults and 3.50 EUR for reduced tickets.
Museo delle Maschere Mediterranee Museo Grazia Deledda
Via Grazia Deledda 42, Nuoro
Grazia Deledda is one of the most important figures in Italian literature and the only Italian woman to have won the Nobel Prize for Literature, in 1926. Born in Nuoro in 1871, she vividly portrayed the life and traditions of Sardinia. Today, her birthplace, located in a typical wealthy Nuorese family house, hosts the Deleddiano Museum. The museum is divided into ten exhibition rooms where visitors can journey through the life of the writer through manuscripts, letters, novels, and photographic prints. The museum's setup aims to tell the story of Deledda's deep connection to Sardinia and the literary events that followed her move to Rome.
Useful Information
The museum is located in the northern part of the "Athens of Sardinia" in Via Grazia Deledda 42, and is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 AM to 8 PM.
Ticket: 5 EUR for adults and 3 EUR for reduced admission.
MAN Museum (Museum of Art of the Province of Nuoro)
Nuoro, known as "the Athens of Sardinia" for its historical and cultural significance, is home to the MAN, the island’s most important contemporary art museum. Housed in a 19th-century building in the heart of Nuoro, the museum features works that testify to the evolution of Sardinian culture in the 20th century. The permanent collection includes works by local artists such as Francesco Ciusa, Giuseppe Biasi, and Giovanni Pintori. Since its opening in 1999, the MAN has hosted exhibitions by internationally renowned artists, including Miró, Chagall, Schiele, Kandinsky, and Picasso, establishing itself as one of the most important museums both regionally and nationally.
Useful Information:
The museum is located in the historic center of Nuoro, Via Sebastiano Satta 27, and is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 AM to 8 PM.
Tickets: 5 EUR for adults and 3 EUR for reduced tickets.
Museum of Costume (Nuoro)
Still in the city of Nuoro, the Museum of Costume is the largest Ethnographic Museum in Sardinia. First opened in 1976, the Museum of Costume offers a portrayal of traditional life on the island through objects related to housing, clothing, food, religious practices, and popular imagination. The museum’s collection comprises around 5,000 items that illustrate the island's life over the centuries, divided into ten thematic rooms. The exhibition focuses on Sardinia's main productive activities from prehistory to the 1960s. If you’re interested in delving deeper into Sardinian history and culture, a visit to the Museum of Costume is a must.
Useful Information
The museum is located on the hill of S. Onofrio, Via Antonio Mereu 56, and is easily accessible by car or on foot from the center of Nuoro. The opening hours are from 10 AM to 8 PM, Tuesday to Sunday.
Tickets: 5 EUR for adults and 3 EUR for reduced admission.
Compendio Garibaldino
In the northern part of Sardinia, on the small and picturesque island of Caprera, lies the place where Giuseppe Garibaldi spent the last years of his life and where he died in 1882: the Compendio Garibaldino. Caprera was Garibaldi’s refuge, where he would retreat between his military campaigns. Between 1856 and 1882, he chose to live here, running a farm and living a simple and frugal life with his family. In 1976, 94 years after his death, the museum opened and, since 2014, has been part of the National Memorial Giuseppe Garibaldi Museum, forming the Caprera Museum System established by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The Compendio Garibaldino is centered around a courtyard with the large pine tree known as the "Tree of Clelia," planted by Garibaldi in 1867 to celebrate the birth of his daughter. The buildings open to the public include the "White House", Garibaldi’s home, and the "Iron House", a wooden prefab covered with sheet metal, where the library is located. The collection includes photos, books, clothing, and everyday items that belonged to Garibaldi, and visitors can also visit the family cemetery, where Garibaldi is buried. The visit offers an emotional immersion into the private life of one of the most famous figures of the 19th century.
Useful Information
The Compendio Garibaldino is reached by crossing the bridge connecting La Maddalena to Caprera and continuing for two kilometers following signs. The museum is open Monday to Saturday from 8:30 AM to 7:30 PM.
Tickets: 8 EUR for adults and 2 EUR for reduced admission.
Il Compendio, la casa di GaribaldiMuseo del Carbone (Carbonia)
Located at the Serbariu mining site, the Coal Museum is one of the most famous museums on the island. It offers a unique insight into the history of coal extraction, the socio-economic role of the mines, and the lives of the miners who worked there. The Grande Miniera di Serbariu, active from 1937 to 1964, was one of Sardinia's most important mines and, from the 1930s to the 1950s, provided a key energy source for the nation. After its closure in 1971, the mine was abandoned until 1991, when the local administration acquired it and transformed it into a museum, which opened in 2006. Visitors can explore the lampisteria, which houses the permanent exhibition on coal history, as well as the underground galleries and the winch room.
Useful Information
The museum is located at the Serbariu mining site, though it is currently temporarily housed in the Auditorium building next to the Paleontological Museum. The underground tours remain unchanged but require reservations. The museum is open from 10 AM to 7 PM (6 PM in winter).
Tickets: 8 EUR for adults and 6 EUR for reduced tickets.
Casa Museo di Antonio Gramsci (Ghilarza, Oristano)
In the historic center of Ghilarza, a small town in the province of Oristano, is the House Museum of Antonio Gramsci, the politician and philosopher who was one of the founders of the Italian Communist Party. Gramsci was born in Ales, in the province of Cagliari, in 1881 and lived in Ghilarza from the age of seven to twenty. The house is a typical 19th-century Sardinian building, divided into two floors, and houses Gramsci’s personal belongings. The collection includes toys Gramsci made for his children, items from his prison life, letters, and books. The museum features six rooms, and the exhibition offers a journey through the life of one of the most fascinating figures of 20th-century Italy. Visitors can also consult Gramsci’s famous writings, Lettere dal carcere e I quaderni dal carcere, via interactive screens.
Useful Information
The Casa Museo Antonio Gramsci, located in the historic center of Ghilarza, Corso Umberto 57, is open daily from 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM, and entry is free.
National Pinacoteca (Sassari)
In the historic center of Sassari, you will find the National Pinacoteca, located in the former Jesuit college of Canopleno and opened in 2008. The collection mainly features paintings by Italian and European artists ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day. The Sassari Pinacoteca is the largest art exhibition in Sardinia and includes works such as Madonna col Bambino by Bartolomeo Vivarini and Maddalena by Andrea Vaccaro, as well as more recent works by 19th- and early 20th-century Sardinian artists.
Useful Information
The Pinacoteca is located in the heart of Sassari's historic center, Piazza Santa Caterina, and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9 AM to 7:30 PM.
Tickets: 6 EUR for adults and 2 EUR for reduced admission.
Pinacoteca Nazionale di Sassari