The 10 Best Things to do Good for a Rainy Day in Province of Oristano, Sardinia

The picturesque village of Allai in the historic region of Barigàdu, in the central-western part of Sardinia, is home to a museum (CIMA) which is the centre of the cultural life of the community. The historic building, that is traditionally named “Casa Saba”, is the heart of the multimedia museum system: here you will discover a typical house of the village and you will be guided through a time-travel, from prehistory to Middle Ages. This is just the beginning of a journey that will let you discover the rural life of Allai which is still alive in the memory of elderly people. The big millstone for the mastic oil and all the tools which were necessary to its work recall the daily activities of the hard work in the fields, bread-making, farming, harvesting and weaving. Allai will be the mean to get to know not only the lifestyle and the history of the village itself, but of a whole territory.

The Antiquarium Arborense, founded in 1938, is the most important museum in the province of Oristano, dedicated to the famous scholar Giuseppe Pau: it shows a large number of archaeological discoveries which date back to different ages (Neolithic, Nuragic, Punic and Roman period), coming from the city of Tharros and the Sinis Peninsula. The Museum houses an important picture gallery, with the surviving panels of three retables (painted multi-panel altarpieces): the retable of Saint Martin, the retable of the Holy Christ and the retable of the Councillors of Oristano. On the first floor, the museum hosts a miniature model of Tharros and a miniature model of Oristano. The Antiquarium Arborense is the only museum in Sardinia with a section for blind and visually impaired people. Guided tours in the Museum and in the historical centre of the city of Oristano are available in English, French and Spanish language (booking is required).

The Casa Deriu Museum in Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 59 tells the story of life in a noble house in the heart of the city of Bosa. Refurbished in 1838, the House retains the original furnishings, the spaces intended for the servants, and the linen with embroidery and filet, the pride of the Bosa artisans. The house is spread over three levels. The first floor is reserved for temporary exhibitions. The noble floor, the manor house, is an intact example of a nineteenth-century house for high-income families, in use until a recent past with largely original furnishings. The circular path goes through the living room, the bedroom, the walk-in closet (wardrobe), the dining room. The servants' lodgings are still present and undergoing restoration. Also on display are 18 works from the Capuchin Convent of Bosa and belonging to the Fund for religious buildings: oil paintings on canvas and polychrome wooden statues. On the third floor there is a precious collection of works by Melchiorre Melis