The best traffic-free bike rides around Igrèsias/Iglesias

The Umbrian pilgrimage site of Assisi has produced two important figures: "Santa Chiara" also deserves to be honored alongside "San Francisco." She lived at the same time as Francis: Clare was born in (or around) 1193 and died in 1253. Her general feast day in the liturgical calendar is August 11, the day of her death, for all major Christian denominations; in addition, there are regional or religious order-specific feast days. Besides the church dedicated to her, there are two significant places in Assisi itself where one can follow in her footsteps: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the center of Assisi (see https://www.komoot.com/de-de/highlight/361280 for more information), and the Monastery of San Damiano (see https://www.komoot.com/de-de/highlight/361272), located just outside the historic city walls.

Among the churches, the Cathedral of Santa Chiara (dating back to the 13th century), the churches of Madonna delle Grazie, Del Collegio, a Jesuit temple, and San Francesco, one of Sardinia's best-preserved and most important buildings in the Gothic-Catalan style, which houses an altarpiece dating back to 1560, are particularly worth seeing.

Lago Corsi is a large artificial basin created by the dam of the Rio Canonica in the municipality of Iglesias. The dam is known as the Punta Gennarta Dam after the mountain on which it stands (417 meters above sea level). The dam was built between March 1959 and May 1964 and tested on July 26, 1971. The structure encloses a lake with an area of approximately 76 hectares and a total volume of approximately 12.70 million cubic meters. Currently empty.

Beautifully painted house on a small square with a fountain.

Nuraghe S'Omu 'e S'Orcu, meaning "the house of the ogre," is a Nuragic complex dating back to between 1500 and 900 BC. The imposing structure comprises a central tower, a bastion with an internal courtyard and cistern, and a rampart with five towers enclosing the Nuragic village. Traces of fire and smelting slag were found in one of the towers, evidence of metallurgical activity linked to the rich copper and tin deposits in the area. For more information on the site's history, services, and tours, visit the website: https://domusnovas.nuraghesomuesorcu.com/.

The evocative Grotta di San Giovanni is a geological and archaeological treasure, as well as the longest vehicle-accessible cave in the world. The cave is accessible from two sides, but the ticket office and information point are located at the main, southern entrance. Entrance is permitted only during cave opening hours. Ticket prices vary depending on the type of visit. You can find all the latest information on the website: https://www.grottasangiovanni.com/.

Established in the early decades of the 20th century, the village still retains valuable buildings such as the church, the school, and the mine management building, as well as evidence of industrial archaeology such as the Zimmermann shaft structure and the compressor room. The village also has a grocery store, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and on Sunday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Not far from the church, you'll also find a fountain where you can fill your water bottles.

Iglesiente, the region at the center of the Sardinian mining epic and of which it is the capital, derives its name. It has a population of 27,000 and is the episcopal see and heir to the ancient diocese of Sulcis. Iglesias means "churches" in Spanish. It is no coincidence that in a city with a glorious past, especially under Catalan-Aragonese rule (when it was a royal city), the celebrations surrounding the Good Friday customs stand out, recalling Spanish customs in form and color. The mystery processions on Holy Tuesday and Holy Friday are particularly impressive. Among the churches, the Cathedral of Santa Chiara (dating back to the 13th century), the churches of Madonna delle Grazie, Del Collegio, a Jesuit temple, and San Francesco, one of Sardinia's best-preserved and most important buildings in the Gothic-Catalan style, which houses an altarpiece dating back to 1560, are particularly worth seeing.