S'Abba Frisca Museum

Museo etnografico S'Abba Frisca - Dorgali e Cala Gonone

Traditions, knowledge, flavours, sounds and scents from the culture of Sardinia’s Barbagia region brought together in a magnificent landscape, as a combination of nature and ethnography. The planned route through this open air museum came to life from the development and restoration of an old agricultural property, and it’s a journey along 500 metres of giant-stone pathways, century-old trees and hedgerows of Mediterranean maquis plants.

Museo S'Abba Frisca 2 - Dorgali e Cala Gonone

Water is the dominant element: the spring called S’Abba Frisca (Fresh Water), beyond just giving its name to the property, feeds into fountains, cascades, water jets and a small lake. Enclosed in parkland, the old property is now the largest ethnographic museum in Sardinia featuring a cross-section of rural life from the 17th century to the beginning of the 20th century. The parkland includes a small farm area with domestic and untamed animals.

Museo S'Abba Frisca 3 - Dorgali e Cala Gonone

On scheduled days in summer or by reservation visitors can see Living Museum demonstrations of arts and crafts, with presentations such as baking pane carasau (crisp flat bread), grinding grain, and working filigree jewellery among many more possibilities. S’Abba Frisca open air museum is one of the leading attractions at Cala Gonone and Dorgali. About 5 km from these town areas, it tells the story of Sardinia in a tour that is highly recommended for families.