OLBIA (SARDINIA): WHAT TO SEE

Tourist information

Located in the province of Sassari, from which it is 107 km away, Olbia is an important port in Sardinia located in the jagged gulf of the same name that opens in the north-east part of the island.

Probably of Punic foundation, in the fourth century BC, it later passed to the Romans, knowing a period of considerable expansion, interrupted at the time of the vandal invasions.

It was necessary to wait until the eleventh century to witness a new expansionist impulse, which saw it become the seat of the Giudicato of Gallura under the rule of the Pisans.

In 1326 Olbia was conquered by the Aragonese, who remained in power until the advent of the Savoy, time when the city began to recover, to know a more decisive period of growth after the First World War, or when it became the main seaport of the Sardinia.

What see

Very interesting to see is the Basilica of San Simplicio, in Romanesque style, dating back to the end of the year 1000 and modified the following century.

Of the original sacred building only the lower part remains, while the facade, from a later period, is decorated with arches placed on the top and present along the entire exterior.

The interior has three naves covered by barrel vaults, on the walls there are funerary inscriptions and Roman memorial stones.

The recommended excursions include the one to the island of Tavolara, located in front of the coast between Golfo Aranci and the beach of Pittulongu, together with the island of Figarolo and other smaller islets.

To the south is the island of Molara, on which there are the remains of a castle dating back to the Middle Ages.

San Teodoro is located 29 km from Olbia, a popular seaside resort characterized by large beaches, overlooking the north-east coast of the island and included in the enchanting inlet located between Punta Sabbatino and Punta d'Ottilu, near the homonymous pond.