Prigioni Spagnole di Sa Bovida
Former prison from the Spanish period in Aritzo, with the permanent exhibition on magic, witchcraft and the Inquisition in Sardinia between the 15th and 17th centuries.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Prigioni Spagnole di Sa Bovida are located in the historic centre of Aritzo, in front of the parish church, and take their name from the characteristic pointed-arch underpass of Spanish origin that links the lower and upper parts of the village. The building, made of schist, mud and chestnut wood, dates from the 16th–17th century and was used as a maximum-security prison until the 1940s; in 1793 some French officers were held prisoner there.
The interiors, now fully restored, comprise four rooms that served as the guardroom and the women’s and men’s cells, including an underground cell reached through a trapdoor. An old sundial survives in the inner courtyard.
Today the building is part of the museum system of Aritzo, the Ecomuseo della Montagna Sarda, and hosts the permanent exhibition “Bruxas” on magic and witchcraft in Sardinia between the 15th and 17th centuries. The display shows ritual objects for magic, protection and divination, instruments of inquisitorial and prison repression, and symbols of psychological coercion such as the sanbenito, drawing on local witch trials documented in the Archivio della Corona d’Aragona in Barcelona.
Highlights
- Permanent exhibition on magic and witchcraft in Sardinia (15th–17th centuries)
- Torture and restraint instruments of the Inquisition
- Women’s cells and underground men’s cell with trapdoor
- Spanish vault “sa bovida” in the historic centre
- Combined ticket with the other museums of Aritzo
Permanent exhibition
- Magia e stregoneria in Sardegna (XV–XVII secolo) – Permanent exhibition “Bruxas” with ritual and protective objects, Inquisition instruments and original prison rooms such as the torture chamber and the cells.
- Visitors per year
- approx. 3,510
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 5 |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and their companion. |
| Combined ticket (Ethnographic Museum, Casa Devilla, Prigioni Spagnole di Sa Bovida, Museo Antonio Mura) | €8 |
| Reduced combined ticket (children aged 6 to 17, over-65s, students up to 26, school groups) | €5Students must show a valid university student card or booklet. |
| Combined group ticket | €7 |
Free admission for children up to 6 years old, people with disabilities and their companion, licensed European Union tourist guides, ICOM members, teachers and university researchers in cultural heritage subjects, students of degree, postgraduate and doctoral courses relevant to cultural heritage, and journalists, with a suitable document. The single ticket costs €3.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The Aritzo museum system offers guided tours and educational activities for schools. |