San Teodoro: the Pearl of Gallura

San Teodoro is a small municipality located in the north-eastern part of Sardinia, in the Gallura region in the province of Sassari (formerly Olbia Tempio). It overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea and lies at the foot of the Monte Nieddu mountain system. It is one of the most popular destinations in Sardinia thanks to the countless services offered by tourist activities and the rare beauty of its coastline: white sandy beaches, shallow waters with crystal clear waters. Notable beaches are the nearby La Cinta and the very popular Cala Brandinchi. Thanks to its proximity to the airport and the port of Olbia, it is easily reached from all major European capitals. The streets of the Teodorino centre are a succession of shops and restaurants that are also open in the evening, where lovers of shopping and good food will be spoilt for choice, while among the stalls of the Coclearia market, it is possible to buy indigenous souvenirs.

The history of San Teodoro

Thanks to the discovery of some archaeological finds from the Nuragic period, it can be attested that the area of San Teodoro was inhabited since the Neolithic period.

A document from the third century A.D. attests the existence of a small settlement in Roman times, called Coclearia. There is no absolute certainty, but in all likelihood this locality could have been located in the vicinity of the present-day town centre.

From the end of the Classical period and for the entire early medieval period, the history of the territory of San Teodoro is unknown. Most probably its name derives from its church, dedicated to a Roman soldier martyr from the fourth century AD. The first certain information dates back to the late Judicial period, when it was part of the Posada curatorate of the Giudicato of Gallura. The territory consisted of small settlements, called villas, that disappeared in later centuries. One of these was called Offolle, the first name that most probably evolved into Oviddè, its last news dates back to 1348. Later, most probably due to the plague, this community dispersed.

As far back as the 15th century, several travellers described the area as forested and semi-deserted, inhabited mostly by shepherds. Following the Aragonese conquest of the island in the 14th century, the territory was part of a fief that roughly comprised the present-day municipalities of Posada, Siniscola, Torpè, Lodè, Budoni and San Teodoro. This fief was known by various names, including County of Montalbo or Barony of Posada. San Teodoro d’Oviddè is the name by which it has been known since around 1700.

With the elimination of fiefs by the House of Savoy, the entire territory remained under the municipality of Posada. The area was populated by settlers of Tempiese origin, inhabitants with different cultural and linguistic origins than the population of the Baronies. The consequence was the inexorable desire for administrative detachment from the municipality of Posada, which only came about in 1959.

In the 1960s, thanks to the arrival of Prince Aga Khan in the nearby Costa Smeralda, San Teodoro underwent a great renewal with a notable expansion of its inhabited area: numerous tourist settlements, villas with gardens were built, and various tourist activities were born, following the momentum of the nearby Costa Smeralda.

Since then, the small Gallurese municipality has been one of the most popular destinations in Sardinia. It has a population of around 5,000 inhabitants and its economy is based on seaside tourism and its service activities related to the presence of numerous tourists.

San Teodoro today

As already mentioned, thanks to a huge expansion of tourism, the village is built around its church and is characterised by typical Gallura architecture: low houses with granite and trachyte with a lush garden. There are several squares, including Piazza Gallura, the historical square, once called Piazza Montecitorio: citizens used to gather in the square to discuss the problems of the area and politics.

In 1975, the painter Luigi Castiglioni painted a large fresco on the wall of a private home. Unfortunately, very little remains of the original fresco, only images faded by time. The work is awaiting restoration.

In the Lu Niuloni area, there is a small but very important Sea Museum, where various archaeological artefacts found on the seabed of the Theodoric coastline are on display: precious objects dating back to the Byzantine era, several Roman amphorae demonstrating maritime traffic along the coast.

The civic theatre, located in Via Sardegna, was built in 2005. It is an imposing spherical building that during the year, and especially during the summer season, hosts various cultural events, such as plays, film screenings and musical performances.

There is no shortage of green areas equipped with children’s games, while the centre is closed to traffic in the evenings to become a pedestrian zone with numerous catering and entertainment activities for young and old: there is no shortage of discos and pubs open until late.