The castle of Eleonora d’Arborea sits in the heart of Sanluri; however, there is no historical proof that it was owned by the giudicessa (judge) of Arborea. Built in the Judicate period, it is the only fortified building from that era still fully intact, because it continued to be used as a residence over time.
Built between 1188 and 1195 on the wishes of the judge, Pietro I di Arborea, both for residential and defensive purposes; it was there to control the border between the judicates of Arborea and Cagliari and the most important road on the island, leading to Torres.
The battle of Sanluri on 30 June 1409 saw the Judicate of Arborea succumb to the Aragonese forces which, by then, had conquered the entire island; as a result, the stronghold lost its military role, serving only for residential purposes. Inhabited by aristocratic Aragonese families up until 1839, in 1924 it was purchased by the general, Nino Villa Santa.
Nowadays, the castle is fully open to the public and houses a museum with four main collections: the Duca D’Aosta’s Museum on the Unification of Italy, with memorabilia from the First World War donated by the duke himself; a second collection dedicated to memorabilia and documents from the two world wars; a collection of wax sculptures, with over three hundred examples dating from between the XV and the XIX centuries; General Nino Villa Santa’s study with his correspondence with Gabriele D’Annunzio and the bedrooms furnished with pieces from the XVII-XIX centuries.
