San Pantaleo, a must see
Those who have been on holiday in Gallura always talk about it in positive terms, while those who have lost this little gem … can always make up for it by returning! Let’s talk about San Pantaleo, the village nestled in the granite massif of Cugnana a few tens of minutes by car from our hotels in Olbia and Arzachena.
Let’s get to know him better, starting from his history.
History
San Pantaleo, like many other small Gallura villages, was born in the period of the development of the stazzi
and their particular culture. The original nucleus of the town developed in the early 1800s, so with the growth of the population a parish was established (1903), and has been part of the municipality of Olbia since 1939. Originally an agricultural village, today it is a magnificent example of the enhancement of a territory, but without it being upset.
San Pantaleo has many definitions.
It is called the town of artists, due to the presence of many artists’ houses and boutiques who have chosen it as their home.
It is also known as the town of markets, due to the well-known one that takes place here.
It is also known for being beautiful trekking trail (from Stazzu Manzoni to Li Pinnitteddi), for the folk festival and for the strategic position that places San Pantaleo close to some of the most beautiful beaches in the area as Rena Bianca.
San Pantaleo, nature inside
Perhaps the first of the striking elements of this village is the natural aspect. The town overlooks a cliff that seems to have been brought from the Dolomites, and which protects it. The narrow streets alternate the artists’ workshops with the simple (but well-kept) Gallura houses painted today in bright colors. The beaches are close, the scent of the sea comes clearly.
Yet San Pantaleo is also a good level trekking, which leads to the discovery of that part of Gallura, the wood, which is increasingly popular today.
San Pantaleo, a town of artists
What will this village ever have set in the rocks of Cugnana that can make it interesting in the eyes of the many artists who populate it today?
Perhaps the tranquility and silence of the countryside, perhaps the vivid colors of the rocks and woods on one side and the bright colors of the sea on the other.
Perhaps the simplicity of the life of a village of just over a thousand inhabitants where tolerance and respect for diversity are clearly understood.
Perhaps the possibility of having an exceptional market for one’s works, the Costa Smeralda, just twenty kilometers away.
What is striking, in any case, is that since the 70s many artists from the most diverse experiences and from all over the world have opened their shops alongside those of Sardinian artisans who were already present or who had moved here. . This means that today one can find, side by side, art workshops and wrought iron craftsmen, ceramists and goldsmiths, inlayers, painters and sculptors with the most diverse experiences and tastes.
Something not to be missed for lovers of beauty.
San Pantaleo, the town with the most beautiful market in Sardinia
This small village is also rightly famous for its original and colorful market.
From May to October in the narrow streets and the central square, every Thursday, you will find an offer of the best of agricultural production in Gallura and many handicraft proposals of objects, ceramics, wood, fabrics and much more.
The mastery of local artisans does not really allow you to take a tour that combines curiosity with culture, creativity and design. Don’t imagine seeing works of art as an end in themselves. They can easily be objects of common use, but stylized and enriched by that artist’s note that made the fortune of this market.
We hope to have told you exhaustively about this little gem that is located just a few minutes drive from our hotels in Olbia, Baia Sardinia and Arzachena.
A prestigious natural context with unique cultural and social features that make San Pantaleo a place not to be missed on your holiday in Gallura.
