Sassari's Open Monuments has reached a milestone: it's its 20th edition. It will be celebrated Saturday and Sunday (from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.) with a wide range of activities: 48 sites open to visitors, seven new features, four thematic itineraries, and previously unseen itineraries. The city is enthusiastically supporting the initiative, with the strong organizational commitment of the municipal administration and the Culture, Tourism, and Major Events department, which is responsible for coordinating a multi-sector effort aimed at revitalizing Sassari as a tourist destination.
The Palazzo Ducale's goal is to promote the rebirth of a city that aims to focus on young people, the true driving force behind this initiative, while recognizing the great historical tradition that Sassari preserves. Open Monuments was conceived thirty years ago and coordinated by the Imago Mundi Association. Students from the city's high schools will serve as guides.
What's new. For the first time, the churches of San Francesco dei Cappuccini and Madonna del Rosario, the Verdi Theater, the Figlie di Maria Foundation School, the University Botanical Garden, the former Convent of San Pietro in Silki, and the Mario Sironi Academy of Fine Arts will be open for the first time during the two-day event. Monserrato Park and, after 12 years, the Aragonese Castle Barbican will also be open again.
The itineraries. There are six trails located throughout the municipality. A major new addition is the Argentiera coastal path , a trail of considerable natural value. Managed by the LandWorks Association, the trail (available on Sunday the 3rd, by reservation, medium-difficulty) will begin in the village, initially winding through Mediterranean vegetation and then continuing along the coast to Punta Argentiera, amidst rockrose, broom, and rosemary, accompanied by environmental hiking guides and local wildlife. Along the trail, hikers may spot herring gulls, Audouin's gulls, crows, vultures, foxes, wild boars, and deer.
In the urban context, the sites of the Thàmus network, Sassari's museum and cultural hub, are opening. The Ancient Walls itinerary offers guided tours along the city walls, as does the itinerary of the Art Nouveau villas in the Cappuccini district. The Lake Baratz nature trails (Saturday, April 2, reservations required, medium difficulty) organized by the CEAS are back, with two hikes rich in history and biodiversity in the special conservation area between the lake, Sardinia's only natural basin, and Porto Ferro. Finally, the rural trails itinerary, curated by the local Italian Alpine Club trail group, is evocative, starting from Via del Mirto and ending at the country church of San Francesco, along the countryside of Luna e Sole, Filighedddu, Taniga, and Monte Furru.
Events and exhibitions. The two-day Open Monuments program features a packed schedule, with over 40 events, including concerts by students from the Conservatory, the Azuni High School, and music schools, as well as activities and workshops for all ages organized by the University, the Academy of Fine Arts, citizen guilds, cultural and sports associations, and schools. Ten exhibitions are scheduled, including "Sardinia, Twentieth-Century Borderlands" at the Tavolara Pavilion, which will remain open this weekend, and the micro-installation "In My Pocket Only Pieces of Home" by artist and performer Maria Jole Serreli, hosted at the Palazzo Infermeria San Pietro, chosen by Imago Mundi as the symbolic image for the 2026 event.
