Surrounded by green fields, 17 kilometres from the capital of Oristano and populated by 4,000 inhabitants, some of whom are the descendants of settlers from the Veneto region, Arborea has the typically ordered structure of fascist cities, with buildings marked by great eclecticism. The straight and parallel avenues are lined with trees, with the two-storey houses in Art Nouveau and Neo-Gothic style being surrounded by greenery. Public buildings overlook the main piazza, in which there is also the parish church of Cristo Redentore (in Tyrolean style). In the town hall there is the Civic Archaeological Collection, a gathering of finds from the Roman necropolis of s'Ungroni.
Arborea was built in 1928 in the centre of the newly-reclaimed Stagno di Sassu. Not to be missed is a visit to the idrovora, inaugurated in 1934, bearing impressive modernist and futuristic dimensions and shapes. Scattered along the avenues are many other structures that were once the administrative headquarters for the reclamation activities. Renamed ‘Mussolinia di Sardegna’ (1930), the town took its present name in 1944, at the end of the world war. Today, it consists of a town centre and rural villages, equipped with modern agro-zootechnical companies, processing industries and an advanced system of associated services.
Its territory is of remarkable naturalistic interest: in the s'Ena Arrubia pond by the coast lives a great number of marsh birds. The sandy expanse of Marina d’Arborea is surrounded by a splendid and extensive pine forest, perfect for cooling down after a sunny day spent seaside. About nine kilometres along the edge of the basin is the fishing village of Marceddì, dominated by the 16th-century Torrevecchia. From here, many delicacies reach the tables of the local restaurants. Amongst the agricultural and livestock products, however, the most famous are dairy products and fruit, including strawberries to which a Sagra (food festival) is dedicated, held each year on the first Sunday of May. On the last Sunday of October, rather, is the Sagra della Polenta (polenta festival), offering the chance to taste the famous Venetian dish with cheese, sausage and stew.
