Background - Peddio Oil Company -

Cuglieri is an ancient hamlet of Roman origins, and it inherited its current name from the Roman toponym of Gurulis Nova. All uphill, with narrow streets and unexpected views, the village of Cuglieri is located on a hill on the west side of Montiferru, at an altitude of 479 meters. Its location offers views of the green hill underneath with the blue sea at its feet. On top of the village stands the church of Santa Maria della Neve, whose origins date back to the 13th century (at least in its original configuration). The story tells that a huge wooden box containing a statue of the Virgin Mary reached the bay at Santa Caterina di Pittinuri. The statue was brought to Cuglieri, where it was supposed to be placed in the then parish church of Santa Croce; however, the oxen pulling the cart, despite the orders of the teamster, fiercely climbed the side of the Bardosu hill and it was impossible to stop them or even convince them to go back to the village once they reached the top. This story is portrayed on the marble effigies sculpted on the front of the church where now lies the Sanctuary of the Santissima Vergine della Neve. The State Road 292 leads straight to the sea, where after 13 km some of the most beautiful beaches of Sardinia can be found: Santa Caterina di Pittinuri and S’Archittu, where the wild coast - predominant along the Alghero-Bosa tract - gives way to some of the most renowned villages of the Sardinian coast. The transparency of Santa Caterina di Pittinuri’s water creates a stark contrast with the whiteness of the promontory and rocks perched over the waves, creating an evocative inlet. It is also worth stopping at S’Archittu, and maybe even taking a dive. It is located in a little gulf whose coast looks pierced and where the constant erosion of the sea has produced a marvellous arch, declared a natural monument.