San Teodoro

Our history, told through the exhibits.

San Teodoro boasts the presence of a small but important archaeological museum that houses the tangible evidence of our past. The exhibits come almost entirely from the seabed of the shores of San Teodoro, sometimes at a depth of just a few metres, and from donations from citizens.

The objects found and catalogued cover a period of time ranging from the Punic period, through the early Imperial Age and the Middle Ages, up to the modern age. Of great value are the “tremisse aureo” (ancient currency) from the Byzantine era, found in the centre of the village, the fragment of a Roman helmet and the treasure: the amphorae.
The museum also houses a small, but extensive nature section with a wonderful collection of shells from all the seas of the world, and information panels.

The San Teodoro Lagoon offers a rich ecosystem that everyone can get to.
Recently acquired by the municipality, and included in the list of special conservation areas of community importance (S.I.C.), the lagoon is a precious ecosystem that houses a large biological heritage of flora and fauna.

The lagoon environment is home to sea bass and sea bream, as well as to the pink flamingo, the cormorant, the heron, the coot, the kingfisher, the kestrel, the marsh harrier and to many other species of marsh and marine fauna. The whole of the lagoon can be visited.

Immersed in the green of the Mediterranean maquis, the site is best visited by enjoying slow walks, taking the details of the naturalistic and birdlife present.
Currently it is possible to reach the San Teodoro lagoon overland or by “LIANTI” boat. The Orizzonti di Gallura Association organizes excursions in the waters of the lagoon: discover an intriguing corner among rocks forged by the wind and among flock seagulls, cormorants, herons and pink flamingos. A unique and unusual view of the banks of the mere.

The Protected Marine Area- defending an uncontaminated habitat

The Protected Marine Area of Tavolara – Punta Coda Cavallo was established and decreed by the Ministry for the Environment in December 1997. The municipalities which overlook the area (San Teodoro, Loiri – Porto San Paolo and Olbia) had suggested it should be protected and they are responsible for its management.
The area extends from the tip of Capo Ceraso near Olbia in the north to beyond the tip of Isuledda in the south, including the islands of Tavolara, Molara and Molarotto.

The main purpose of the marine park is in protecting the biodiversity and balance of the environmental heritage that belongs to this portion of the north-eastern coast of Sardinia. This area is one of the most spectacular part of the Tyrrhenian coast. The park promotes tourism, cultural and didactic fruition policies and recreation that is compatible with the defence of nature and the landscape.
In addition to its scientific purposes, and in light of its status as a diversely protected area, the marine park promotes environmental education.
San Teodoro has high quality diving spots that are identified by special mooring buoys showing where diving is allowed. Diving can be with or without the aid of diving centers (depending on the area).

The San Teodoro marine park offers tourists the added value of an institution that ensures the sea and coastline are used correctly: this is an investment for the future of the entire region.

The main church is named after the martyred saint San Teodoro d’Amasea. The rural parish of San Teodoro was officially founded during the 1870s by Count Giambattista Bogino, a minister for Sardinia’s affairs in the Savoy kingdom and by Monsignor Francesco Ignazio Guiso, bishop of the Diocese of Ampurias and Civita (Tempio Pausania and Olbia).
The church was renovated in the 1950s when the then adjacent cemetery was also moved. An expansion during the mid-1970s returned the Theodorine chapel to how it appears today.
The new church has now been completed and hosts the celebration of liturgical worship. It stands alongside the old church which will be given a new lease of life as a working chapel. It is located a few meters from the existing church and is able to accommodate many more worshippers, especially during the summer.
The hamlets of Straula and Monte Petrosu have little churches dedicated to Sant’Antonio and to Sant’Andrea respectively. San Teodoro is celebrated on two days a year: on 9 November there is a liturgical holiday, while on the third Sunday of June there is a popular holiday.
Built in the early 1900s, the church of Straula is named after St Anthony because there is a relic of this saint at the altar. A country festival is usually held on the second Sunday of June.
The church of Monte Petrosu (“our” church) is dedicated to St Andrew, the Apostle. Funded by citizens, the church was first intended for dedication to San Ponziano because of the hamlet’s proximity to the site of this saint’s exile (near the island of Molara, which still retains the vestiges of its church). However, the decision was subsequently made to honour the citizen who had donated the land upon which to build the church: a man called Andrea. The patronal feast day is usually the first Sunday in June.