Sant'Antioco

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Comune di Sant'Antioco
Municipal coat of arms
Country	Italy
Region	Sardinia
Province	Province of Carbonia-Iglesias
Mayor

Elevation	m
Area	115.59 km²
Population
- Total (as of 2001)	11,730
- Density	101.59/km²
Time zone	CET, UTC+1
Coordinates	39°04′N 08°27′E
Gentilic	Antiochensi
Dialing code	0781
Postal code	09017
Frazioni	Maladroxia
Patron	Sant'Antioco

Location of Sant'Antioco in Italy
Website: www.comune.santantioco.ca.it

Sant'Antioco is a the name of both an island and a municipality (comune) in southwestern Sardinia, in the Province of Carbonia-Iglesias, in Sulcis zone. With a population of 11,730, the municipality of Sant'Antioco it is the island's largest community.

1 Island of Sant'Antioco
2 History
3 Main sights
4 Events

[edit] Island of Sant'Antioco

Sant'Antioco is the second largest island of the region Sardinia, after Sardinia itself, with a surface of 109 km²; it is also the fourth in Italy after Sicily, Sardinia itself and Elba, and the seventh in the Mediterranean. It is located some 87 km from Cagliari, to which is connected through the SS126 state road, using a modern bridge. The island is divided between the two municipalities of Sant'Antioco and Calasetta. Other settlements are the small tourist resort of Maladroxia (a frazione of Sant'Antioco municipality) and Cussorgia, part of Calasetta.

[edit] History

The island of Sant'Antioco was settled at least from the 5th millennium BC (the so-called culture of San Michele of Ozieri), which based mainly on fishing and agriculture. Typical tombs (called domus de janas) and menhirs belonging to this culture have been found. The island also housed nuraghe civilizations: findings include the nuraghe of Su Niu de Su Crobu ("Crow's Nest").

The city of Sant'Antioco was founded in the 8th century BC by the Phoenician, with the name of Solki, of which a tophet (children) necropolis has been excavated. Later (6th century BC) it became a Carthaginian colony, to which another necropolis belongs. The Punic domination ended in the 2nd century BC, when Solki was conquered by the Romans, who connected it to the mainland through an artificial isthmus. During the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey it sided for the latter, being severely punished after his defeat.

The current city name derives from St. Antiochus, evangelizer of the area, which was martyred in 125 AD. After the decline and the end of the Western Roman Empire, Sant'Antioco was a fortified strongpoint of the Byzantines. It was repeatdely attacked by the Saracens starting from the early 8th century, and gradually abandoned by the inhabitants, who fled in the more proteced inner area, the island remaining mainly the end of pilgrimages of Antiochus' devoted. A new settlements (bidda in Sardinian) was established around 935 by the judge (the local title for lord) of Cagliari, but this also was abandoned after the end of the giudicato. The island was a territory of the Kingdom of Sardinia (created in 1354) and later was acquired by archbishopric of Cagliari (1503) and, in 1758, by the religious Order of SS. Maurizio and Lazzaro: at the time it had 38 houses, 15 workshops, 164 huts, with some 450 inhabitants.

In January-May 1793 the island was occupied by French troops under admiral Laurent Jean François Truguet, and the citizen freed from ecclestiastical taxes. The last attack from North African pirates occurred in 1815 (the same year in which the relics of the patron saint were brought back to the cathedral).