Macomer

History

Macomer, known to the Greek geographer Ptolemy as "Macopsissa," has been inhabited since antiquity. In 1478 was the scene of the historical battle between the Sardinians and the Aragonese, which ended the independence of Sardinia. In 1767, under the Kingdom of Sardinia, it became the capital of the Marquisate of Marghine. The Marquisate included the nearby villages of Birori, Bolotana, Borore, Bortigali, Dualchi, Lei, Mulargia, Noragugume and Silanus.

In 1949, a statue called The Venus of Macomer was discovered in a cave located in "Marras" area, in a gorge of the river S'Adde. The artifact depicts a Goddess Mother dating back to the Palaeolithic period. It is about 14 cm high and was built with local basalt. It is currently kept in the National Archaeological Museum of Cagliari.

Nowadays, Macomer is a destination for tourists who want to admire the beautiful landscape around the city.

Climate

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Demographics

As of 2025, Macomer has a population of 9,073, of which 49.1% are male and 50.9% are female, compared to the nationwide average of 49.0% and 51.0% respectively. Minors make up 10.8% of the population, and seniors make up 30.2%, compared to the Italian average of 14.9% and 24.7% respectively.

As of 2024, the foreign-born population is 386, making up 4.2% of the total population. The 5 largest foreign nationalities are Moroccans (66), Romanians (47), Germans (33), Swiss (30) and French (21).

Main sights

The region is richer in the bronze-age towers known as nuraghi than any other part of Sardinia.

The old parish church of San Pantaleone has three Roman mile-stones in front of it, belonging to the Roman high-road from Carales to Turris Libisonis. A modern road now follows the ancient one. Recently an ethnographic museum called "Le Arti Antiche" (The ancient Arts) has been opened, where it is possible to see tools traditionally used for agriculture and livestock, folk costumes, and photographs. The Monte di Sant'Antonio (St. Anthony's Mountain) has a great historical and naturalistic importance; on 13 June of every year the anniversary of the Saint of Padua is celebrated there.

References

References

1. "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". [[Italian National Institute of Statistics.
2. "Resident population". [[Italian National Institute of Statistics.
3. "The Macomer-Nuoro Railway".
4. "Altopiano di Campeda".
5. "Popolazione residente dei comuni. Censimenti dal 1861 al 1991". [[National Institute of Statistics (Italy).
6. "Resident population - Time series". [[National Institute of Statistics (Italy).
7. "Resident population by sex, municipality and citizenship". [[Italian National Institute of Statistics.