May
PORTOSCUSO
Portoscuso,
a village of about 5800 inhabitants, is a well-known seaside tourist resort,
but its is 
especially
known because of the tunny-fishing nets festival: every year, in May, the tunny
killing rite takes place, when the tuna fish is captured, off Capo Altano, by
using traditional methods. The tunny-fishing nets festival lasts till the 13th
of June, when, in the small church of Su Pranu, a solemn Mass is celebrated
in honour of S. Antonio (“tonnara”’s patron saint) and the tunny is then handed
out and cooked according to local tradition. Su Pranu was an autonomous fortress,
equipped with all necessary things in order to be independent. In fact, it had
an oven; a storehouse to keep flour, cereals, oil and wine; a few workshops
to make nails and ironware, and repair fishing and spinning tools. There was
also a palace, and the houses of tunny fishermen, “is baraccas”. In order to
protect the tunny-fishing nets from the 
Barbarians,
a XVI-century trachyte Spanish Tower was built, as a sighting point. Beyond
the tunny-fishing nets’perimeter a church was built, devoted to the Madonna
d’Itria, patron saint of Portoscuso. The church’s interior houses two paintings
dating from the XVII century, and a few valuable wooden simulacra. In town,
“Villa Su Marchesu”, built in 1912 by Marquis Pes di Villamaria, represents
a very interesting place to visit, since the villa’s garden keeps a few exotic
plants. Along the Christopher Columbus promenade one can find hotels, restaurants,
refreshment bars, and a modern tourist port provided with all facilities, which
can house 400 boats. The seaside stretches from Punta de S’Alliga up to Guareneddu,
alternating a rocky, jagged coastline and beaches of finest sand, such as Is
Canneddas, sa Caletta and Portupaleddu. The pureness of seawater and the coast’s
variety favour the presence of precious endemic specimen of flora and fauna,
whereas the hinterland houses hawks, Peregrin hawks ect. Portoscuso’s cooking
consists mainly of fish-dishes, above all tuna-fish dishes. Here, tuna fish
is cooked in many different delicious ways.
IGLESIAS
Iglesias was founded in
the XIII century by Count
Ugolino della Gherardesca. It soon became the Region’s major town, thanks to
the digging out of silver and the
mining work of Monteponi. The working of mines has left indelible evidence in
the territory. In fact it created that characteristic, well-known industrial
landscape, with its fixtures and fittings, and a few buildings of great architectural
value. In the mine of Monteponi, machinery and fittings were constructed, that
made it famous all over the world. Worth visiting are also the other mining
centres spread over the territory. Iglesias’ very town centre is Piazza del
Municipio (= Town Hall Square), one of the most beautiful squares of the island,
with the Bishop’s Palace, the Town Hall and the Cathedral of Santa Chiara. The
Cathedral devoted to S. Chiara and Santa Maria di Valverde are really worth
visiting. A half-hour walk will lead you to the Pisan Walls and the Salvaterra
Castle, on the hilltop. The territory of Iglesias still preserves a remarkable
botanical and woodland treasure. Many species of great scientifical interest
are spread in all kinds of environment, both on the coast and in the mountains.
Mount Marganai, which is one of the most charming places, is entirely covered
with a thick holm-oak forest. Anyone who visits Iglesias cannot avoid tasting
its typical products: either some special bread called “su coccoi”, “su civraxu”,
and “carasau” (also called carta da musica = music sheet) or a few types of
fresh pasta such as “is malloreddus”; either the excellent “pecorino” (sheep’s
milk cheese), roast pork and lamb, or the special cakes such as “amaretti”,
made of bitter almonds, “pirichittus”, “is pabassinas” biscuits (with walnuts,
almonds and grapes), and the sweet-pastry “formaggelle” called “is pardulas”.
GONNESA
One
can easily reach Gonnesa, a village of 5300 inhabitants, by driving along the
S.S.
126, just passing Iglesias. The village was founded in 1744 by Viscount Gavino
Asquer, since the area was to be converted into a mining centre. As a matter
of fact, this territory, rich in coal, lead and zinc, has always been subjected
to intensive extraction. Here are the major sites one can visit: Sedda Moddizzis,
Terras Collu, Monte Onixeddu, Monte Scorra and the mining village of Normann
on the ridge of Mount S. Giovanni. In the mine of San Giovanni, the small karst
cave of S. Barbara has been discovered. The territory of Gonnesa is of millenary
origin, as proved by the numerous settlements (Phoenician, Punic and Roman settlements)
scattered along the coast. The most
important of these is the nuraghic village of Seruci, composed of 100 huts gathered
around the ruins of a large nuraghe. Not far from here there are the remains
of the Tombs of Giants, the Domus de Janas (= fairy houses) of Murru Moi-Serra
Maverru and other nuraghic remains. In the village of Gonnesa there is the Church
of S. Andrea, dating back to 1200 AD, whose patron saint’s day is celebrated
in November. The outskirts of Gonnesa are surrounded by most beautiful beaches:
the first one, Funtanamare, along the road to Nebida, shows a few remains of
an old mining centre; the second one, Plage Mesu, which is just in the middle
of the coastline (Golfo del Leone = Lion’s Gulf), is frequented all the year
round thanks to its large sandy shore and the easy access to it; the third one,
towards Funtanamare, to the south passing the dunes of Is Arenas, is Porto Paglia,
where the old village of the tunny-fishing nets is to be found, founded in the
second half of the XVIII century. It was then turned into a holiday camp, where
tourists can visit the typical tunny fishermen’s houses and the building called
“Su Proci”.
THE ISLAND OF SANT'ANTIOCO
The
island of Sant’Antioco is Sardinia’s major island. Founded by the Phoenicians
in the VIII
century B. C. by the name of Sulki, Sant’Antioco was one of the Mediterranean’s
principal towns. Its harbour was used to transport the minerals extracted in
the Iglesiente area to the other ports of the Mediterranean. This land is very
rich in archaoelogical sites: menhirs (Su Para and Sa Mongia), domus de janas
(= fairy houses), such as is Pruinis, nuraghi and tophet. In the latter, situated
on the hill called “Sa Guardia de is Pingiadas”, numerous cinerary urns were
brought to light. Close to the Tophet, the Savoy Fortress rises, built by the
Piedmontese in 1800 on the remains of a Phoenician temple. The fortress served
the purpose of protecting the town from the uninterrupted raids of Barbarians.
An important evidence of Christian archaeology is the church of Sant’Antioco,
dating back to the Early-Christian / Byzantine period. Inside the church, a
stairway goes down to the catacombs, where, according to tradition, the island’s
patron saint was buried. The patron saint’s day, Sant’Antioco festival, is certainly
one of the most celebrated on the island, and it takes place on Monday, 15 days
after Easter Day. Sant’Antioco’s coast is mainly sandy in the north, but rocky
and jagged in the south. The coast alternates large beaches and tiny inlets
(Maladroxia, overlooked by Nuraghe S’Ega de Marteddu; Coquaddus; Cala Lunga).
Significant rocky formations can be seen along the west coast: a 15 m high cliff
and the islets of the Cow, the Calf and the Bull.
