March
OSCHIRI
At
the limits of Logudoro and Gallura lies Oschiri: a unique, charming place that
can be reached driving along the road leading to Sassari. It is an area of great
archaeological importance, given the presence of dolmens in Monte Ulia and several
interesting Domus de Janas near the area of Santu Istevene. Santu Istevene shows
the presence of Phoenicians in the history of Sardinia. The Phoenicians were
not invaders: they were merchants, instead, who simply exploited the strategic
position of the island (situated just in the middle of the Mediterranean) in
order to buy and sell a variety of goods. During the Roman Age, Oschiri was
provided with a river port on the Coghinas river (which was navigable when in
flood, before the dam was built). Presently, in the “Balanotti” area, to the
north of Lake Coghinas, one can admire the remains of the medioeval Church of
San Giorgio, although, unfortunately, we have little information about it. Lake
Coghinas and Su Filitosu are the most important areas. They are situated in
the north-west and north-east respectively. Beyond the lake is the mountain
range of Limbara, a charming view for its great variety of floral species such
as the arbutus maquis and the cork-oak. Several monuments of the Pisan period
are present today. The Church of Our Lady of Otti (Oppidum Octi) dates back
to this period. Situated to the north-east of Oschiri, it is made of trachyte.
On the 8th of September, on the Day of Su Chirriolu, people were offered food
and drinks. Later on, the village moved to Oschiri, where the cerimony has been
preserved over the years under the name of Santa Lucia. The Church of S. Demetrio,
dating from 1168, is made of dark volcanic stone. Later, in 1829, a cemetery
was built around the church: it was the first walled-in cemetery in Sardinia,
situated to the south-east of the village, in the area of “Mulinu” on the Bena
river. Trade, closely connected to manufacturing, took place during spring or
summer, because of the many problems caused by winter, such as muddy roads and
dangerous rivers. The inhabitants of Oschiri mainly produced corn, sweet corn,
flax, potatoes etc. They reared cattle, made leather and wool, produced milk
and dairy products; they were hunters, since the territory was full of deer,
mouflons, hares, wild boars etc., and sought cork. Excellent kinds of cheese
are produced in Oschiri, such as “spring cheese” and “butirro”, but the village
stands out for the production of “panadas”, “casadinas”, “fresa” and “tilicas”,
of Etruscan origin. Besides its marvellous natural environment, its centuries-old
history (testified by numerous archeological findings) and its excellent gastronomical
tradition, Oschiri and its inhabitants also have the merit of receiving tourists
warmly.
ABBASANTA E GHILARZA
Situated on the plateau of the same name, Abbasanta (= holy water) takes its
name from the old belief that the spring water of the territory had curative
properties. Besides wild olive, cork-oak and durmast woods, the area also has
a great deal of nuraghic remains and pastures. In the giudicale period, Abbasanta
became the capital city of the great Giudicato of Arborea. During the Aragonese
and Spanish rule period, Abbasanta belonged to the encontrada of “Parte Ocier
Real”. The oldest part of the village consists of black basalt stone houses.
In the area, numerous are the archaeological findings dating back to the Prehistoric,
Punic and Roman period. From the southern limit of the village one can reach
the nuraghe “Losa” (first half of the millennium – VII / VI century B. C.).
Standing on the right-hand side of the road leading to Nuraghe Losa, one can
admire the remains 
of
a Roman necropolis. The parish church of Santa Cristina, around which lies the
old centre of the village, was built in 1853 in a Renaissance style. Abbasanta
is renowned for its excellent cheese, vintage wines, good olive oil, wood and
cork. One is delighted by the excellent food prepared in this village. Worth
mentioning are the delicious cheese and almond cakes. Owing to the interesting
historical and cultural wealth of the village, to its people (2640) and food,
one is spellbound by the beauty of Abbasanta. Ghilarza (4676 inhabitants), situated
between Lake Omodeo and the plateau of Abbasanta, is the main agricultural and
trading centre of the island. Probably, it dates back to the nuraghic and Phoenician
period. Around the XV century, the people of five neighbouring villages gathered
and settled there. There is much evidence of the nuraghic civilization in most
of the territory. Characteristic are the old black basalt houses . In the Middle
Ages, Ghilarza belonged to the Giudicato of Arborea, then it fell under the
Aragonese and Spanish rule, in fact it belonged to the encontrada of “Parte
Ocier Real”. This area is famous because Antonio Gramsci as a child attended
Primary School there (1898- 1908). Presently, his house (Corso Umberto 57) is
a small museum, with an exhibition of his works and belongings. In Zuri stands
the little, beautiful red trachyte church of San Pietro, re-built in 1922 (together
with the village of the same name) because its previous site was flooded by
the the waters of Lake Omodeo, which have mostly submerged a petrified wood,
too.
