town and episcopal see, southwestern Sardinia, Italy. It lies west-northwest of Cagliari city. The town's cathedral dates from 1288, and the 15th-century Church of San Francesco is a good example of Franciscan architecture in Sardinia. Iglesias is the centre of a region in which lead, zinc, and silver are mined and sulfuric acid is distilled. The local mining school houses a museum of mineralogy. Pop. (2006 est.) mun., 27,871.