San Sebastiano

Lake San Sebastiano lies near Isili in Sardinia's Sarcidano. Created by the Is Barrocus dam on the Mannu river, the reservoir is distinguished by a small church standing on an islet.

Why it matters

The basin brings together a modern water-management landscape and an older religious landmark. Its setting among limestone cliffs gives the lake a character different from the surrounding plateau country.

What to notice

The church of San Sebastiano gives the lake its familiar name and provides its most distinctive silhouette. Rock faces around the water, including the area of Su Pizzu 'e Nedda, contrast with the open basin. The former railway embankment adds a human-made line to the shore landscape.

Context and history

The dam transformed the river valley into a reservoir, also fed by the Rio Corrigas. The surrounding limestone originated from much older marine deposits. Isili's wider territory preserves important prehistoric remains, including nuraghi, placing this comparatively recent lake within a landscape with a much longer history of settlement.