Sant'Antioco (Italian pronunciation:[santanˈtiːoko];Sardinian:Santu Antiogu) is a town andmunicipality on the island of the same name in southwesternSardinia, in theProvince of Sulcis Iglesiente, in theSulcis subregion. With a population of 10,451, the municipality of Sant'Antioco is the island's largest settlement.[1] It is also the site of ancientSulci, considered the second city of Sardinia in antiquity.
The island of Sant'Antioco as seen fromMonte Sirai
Sant'Antioco is the second largest island of the Sardinian region, after Sardinia itself, with a surface of 109 km2 (42 sq mi); it is also the fourth largest in Italy afterSicily, Sardinia andElba. It is located some 87 km (54 mi) fromCagliari, to which is connected through the SS126 state road, using a modern bridge. The island is divided between the two municipalities of Sant'Antioco andCalasetta. Other settlements are the small tourist resort of Maladroxia (afrazione of Sant'Antioco municipality) and Cussorgia, part of Calasetta. The coast of the island is in part sandy and in part rocky. The main beaches in the island are Maladroxia and Coaquaddus, in the municipality of Sant'Antioco, and Sotto Torre, Le Saline and Spiaggia Grande in the municipality of Calasetta.
The island of Sant'Antioco was settled at least from the 5th millennium BC (the so-calledculture of San Michele of Ozieri), which was based mainly on fishing and agriculture. Typical tombs (calleddomus de janas) andmenhirs belonging to this culture have been found. The island also housed thenuragic civilization: findings include theGiants' grave of Su Niu de su Crobu ("Crow's Nest").
Roman mosaic pavement depicting two panthers drinking from a krater
In the 8th century BC thePhoenicians founded a new settlement, with the name ofSulky (Punic:SLKY)[2] or Solki,[citation needed] of which atophet (children)necropolis has been excavated. Later (6th century BC) it became aCarthaginian colony, to which another necropolis belongs. The Punic domination ended in the 3rd century BC, when Sulky was conquered by theRomans, who connected it to the mainland through an artificialisthmus. During the civil war betweenJulius Caesar andPompey it sided with the latter, being severely punished after his defeat. During Roman times, it was calledPlumbaria, after itslead deposits.[3]
The current city name derives fromSt. Antiochus, evangelizer of the area, who was martyred in 125 AD. After the decline and the end of theWestern Roman Empire, Sant'Antioco was a fortified strong point of theByzantines. It was repeatedly attacked by theSaracens starting from the early 8th century, and gradually abandoned by the inhabitants who fled to the more protected inner area; the island mainly remained important as the end of pilgrimages devoted to St. Antiochus. A new settlement (bidda inSardinian) was established around 935 by thejudge (the local title for lord) ofCagliari, but this also was abandoned after the end of thegiudicato. The island was a territory of theKingdom of Sardinia (created in 1324) and later was acquired by archbishopric of Cagliari (1503) and, in 1758, by the religious Order of SS. Maurizio and Lazzaro. In the 18th century the area began to be repopulated and toward the mid of the century there were 38 houses, 15 workshops, and 164 huts, with some 450 inhabitants.
Forte of Su Pisu, 1813-15
In January–May 1793 the island was occupied by French troops under admiralLaurent Jean François Truguet, and the citizens freed from ecclesiastical taxes. The last attack by North African pirates occurred in 1815;[4] the same year in which therelics of thepatron saint were brought back to the cathedral.
As of 2025, the municipality has a population of 10,451, of whom 49.1% are male and 50.9% are female. Minors make up 10.7% of the population, and seniors make up 32.5%, compared to the Italian average of 14.9% and 24.7% respectively.[1]
As of 2024, the foreign-born population is 331, equal to 3.1% of the population. The 5 largest foreign nationalities areFrench (53),Germans (51),Swiss (38),Romanians (36) andChinese (18).[7]
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