Between the inlets of the Laguna di Marceddì and the Stagno di San Giovanni, where Neapolis once reigned, a city founded by the Phoenicians and subsequently occupied by the Punic, then Roman and Byzantine populations, stands Terralba, a small town on the Campidano plane in the Oristano sub-region, 25 kilometres away. Known for its gavina watermelons and the communal winery (established in 1948), which produces monica and nuragus wines, Terralba is the second most populous town in the Province of Oristano, with over ten thousand inhabitants. The lagoon and pond, which together form a protected ecosystem stretching over 1,800 hectares, are home to over 5,000 birds. There are rare species such as the purple heron, western marsh harrier, pink flamingo and the western swamphen. The area contains many fish varieties, hence why fishing has always been practiced. From the hamlet of Marceddì, twelve kilometres from the city, come eels, mullets, wedge clams and mussels (nieddittas). The village, enriched by the Museo del Mare (Sea Museum), comes alive after Ferragosto on the occasion of the Sagra della Madonna di Bonaria, with processions on the ground and on the pond.