-> Oristano Route

ROUTE ORISTANO PROVINCE

Ales - Arborea - Santa Giusta - Oristano - Fordongianus

Time: one day - Lenght: about 80 km

 
Excavations of the phoenician-punic and roman city of Tharros

Beneath the chain of Monte Arci, an important obsidian deposit in Prehistoric times, we come to Ales where you can admire the beautiful seventeenth-century Cathedral, which was rebuilt by the master builder from Genoa, Domenico Spotorno. In the nearby Diocesan Museum, which will be opening soon, you can admire valuable examples of art (paraments and holy silver vessels) and documents about the work of the bishops who succeeded each other in time. When you reach the SS 131, after about 17 Km, take the junction for Uras and go through the centre until the crossroads on the SP 126, which you take to the right. After 14 Km you will come to the town centre of Arborea that was founded in 1928 with the name of Mussolinia, which is characterised by the symmetrical arrangement of the buildings in the central square. Of these buildings, the church of Santa Maria Ausiliatrice is particularly interesting with an altarpiece by the painter Filippo Figari. Leaving Arborea, take the road north to Santa Giusta and after about 12 Km you will come to the town centre. It stands on the site of the ancient Phoenician-Punic city of Othoca, which later became a Roman city. The ex Romanesque cathedral of Santa Giusta

dominates the site from the top of a knoll. It was started after 1118 and completed by 1144. It is unique because of the crypt, which is the only one in Sardinia built in Romanesque style, whose vaults rest on ancient capitals and columns. Continuing north, after 5 Km you come to the town centre of Oristano. From Piazza Mannu, where one of the medieval gates of the boundary wall opened, turn left into Via Vittorio Emanuele, at the end of which there is the cathedral of Santa Maria. The cathedral built in Romanesque style in the 12th century on top of an earlier Byzantine building, preserves two splendid marble plutei with Lions clawing fawns and Daniel in the lions’ den which were re-worked at the back by a Catalan sculptor when the cathedral was extended and the gothic transept was built. Of this only the Rimedio or Santissimo chapel remains. The stone statue of the Madonna and Child engraved in the 14th century by a Catalan artist is worshipped on its altar. The wooden statue of the Annunciation (attributed to Francesco di Valdambrino, an early 15th century sculptor from Tuscany) is preserved in a side chapel. The church was completely rebuilt between 1729 and 1745 and the wings of the transept were added in the nineteenth century in Neoclassical style according to the design of Cominotti. Two bronze doorknockers with a lion-like head by the master Placentinus dating back to 1228 are preserved in the so-called Archivietto (17th century), as well as the plutei. A series of illuminated manuscripts with texts of Gregorian chant embellished by precious miniatures is also of particular importance. The oldest ones date back to the 13th century. The secluded monumental medieval bell tower that stands on the square was completed with a dome according to the design of the Savoy military engineer Davisto in Piedmont Barocchetto style; nearby is the old Seminary and Bishop’s Palace. Continuing along Via Duomo you come to the Gothic church of San Francesco, which was rebuilt in Neoclassical style in 1838 by the architect Gaetano Cima and preserves two important medieval works of art. These are the marble statue of a Holy bishop by Nino Pisano (about 1360) and the so-called Crucifix of Nicodemus (14th century), a large wooden sculpture whose most apparent characteristic is the dramatic expression, hence its inclusion in the sombre Gothic crucifix type.

Continuing right, after crossing Piazza Eleonora, take corso Umberto and you will come to Piazza Roma, where there is the medieval tower of San

Cristoforo (or Mariano). This supreme monumental building from the ancient boundary wall preserves its fifteenth-century bronze bell, which regulated life in the community. The monumental complex of the Carmine convent and church is particularly important; it was built in the eighteenth century according to the design of the Savoy architect Giuseppe Viana, with a homogenous architectural style and interior decoration (stucco work, wrought iron and inlaid marble). After taking Via Garibaldi, you come to the Gothic church of Santa Chiara, which was built between 1343 and 1348, and from here to the Antiquarium Arborense, which contains two panels from the Retable of San Martino (15th century) and important collections of archaeological finds dating back to the Prehistoric and Byzantine age, in particular from the Oristano area. Take the SP 388 east from Oristano and after about 25 Km, you come to the town centre of Fordongianus, which was built on the site of the ancient city of Forum Traiani. Only the Roman baths are left of the city, with pools fed by springs of hot and cold water, in an extremely beautiful area along the bank of the Tirso river. Outside the built-up area there is the Romanesque church of San Lussorio, which is dedicated to the saint who was martyred in 304 under the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian.  

ORISTANO PROVINCE ROUTE

Cabras - Bosa - Santu Lussurgiu

Bonarcado - Milis - Ghilarza - Abbasanta

Time: two days - Lenght: about 150 km

BOSA

Leave the built-up centre of Cabras, north of the gulf of Oristano, on the pond of the same name, and head south for capo San Marco, the extreme south tip of the Sinis peninsula. The city of Tharros was founded here by the Phoenicians between the 9th and 7th century B.C. and was one of Sardinia’s most important cities in Roman and Punic times. Its flourishing commercial trade can be seen from the jewels and other finds found at the necropolis, which testify to the far-reaching exchanges between eastern and western Mediterranean countries. Vast residential quarters and temple structures are preserved in the urban area, including the base of a sanctuary cut into the stone. Turn back for a stop before the Byzantine church of San Giovanni di Sinis, whose dome is incredibly beautiful especially when seen from inside; then on to the hypogeal sanctuary of San Salvatore, which is also well-known because many Italian westerns were filmed in the village at the top. The sanctuary was built on the site of a very old water cult. Drawings, paintings and Roman age inscriptions are preserved in the underground areas. Going back along the road to Cabras, take the coastal road 292 northwards and after about 60 Km, you will  come to the centre of Bosa. The Pinacoteca Comunale (Municipal Picture Gallery) is situated in Casa Deriu, number 57 Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, the small town’s main artery, and here works are preserved by the painter, decorator and ceramist Melkiorre Melis, one of the principal supporters of applied arts in twentieth-century Sardinia.

Perched on the top of the hill of Serravalle, Malaspina Castle was built in various phases after 1112. The Gothic chapel of Nostra Signora de sos Regnos altos is preserved inside the boundary wall with 14th century frescoes only on three walls that show: the Last supper, a series of saints and the Meeting of the three living and the three dead. Heading back up the left bank of the Temo and following Via Sant’Antonio Abate, you come to the Romanesque church of San Pietro extra-muros, which was built between 1073 and 1300 as Bosa cathedral. Going back 23 Km along the road 292 to Cuglieri, take the road to Santu Lussurgiu and turn off after 14 Km for the woodland area where there is the Romanesque church of San Leonardo di Siete Fuentes. The nature of the place indicated the construction of a hospital, which was built in the 14th century by the order of the Hospital workers of San Giovanni. Continuing south past Santu Lussurgiu, after 8 Km you come to

Bonarcado, a small town set on the slopes of Montiferru where there is the complex of Santa Maria, with a sanctuary and church. The Byzantine sanctuary built on the ruins of a brick Roman spa building, of which only one pool and window remain, is dedicated to the Madonna di Bonacattu. This popular name originates from the title of the original sanctuary that was dedicated to the Vergine Immacolata ("panachrantos") who was worshiped in Byzantine times. The Virgin portrayed in a 15th century terracotta basrelief is worshiped inside. after building the northern façade, in Neo-Romanesque style.

The Romanesque church of Santa Maria shows two building phases and is cited in the Condaghe di Santa Maria di Bonarcado, whose papers date back to between the 12th and 13th century. This is a pergameneous code related to the administration of the monastery, which is currently kept at the University Library in Cagliari. An interesting picture of society at that time appears from this document, because it testifies to the links between the monks and other important institutions, as well as including a recording of the monastery’s possessions. Continuing south, after just 8 Km you come to the small centre of Milis, on the outskirts of which there is the Romanesque church of San Paolo inside the graveyard enclosure.

You can visit the imposing nuraghe S’Uraki, where excavation work is still being carried out at the nearby centre of San Vero Milis. When you reach the SS 131 in the direction of Abbasanta, after about 22 Km, take the junction for Ghilarza, whose built-up centre can be reached after 3 Km. On the northern outskirts of the built-up area there is the Romanesque church of San Palmerio next to an Aragonese tower. After leaving the eastern outskirts of Ghilarza, when you reach the junction for Boroneddu, head up left for a few kilometres to the built-up area of Zuri, where there is the Gothic church of San Pietro, which was started in 1291 and completed by 1336. The judicial purchasers of Arborea played a vital role in the affair, in particular Mariano II de Bas Serra, who commissioned the master Anselmo from Como to construct this building explicitly in Gothic style.

Last century, in the twenties, the church was taken down from its original position and rebuilt, stone by stone, on its current site to prevent it from sinking as a result of the creation of Lake Omodeo, which is an artificial basin of the Tirso River. From Ghilarza get onto the "Carlo Felice" (SS 131) road and opposite the link road you can visit the beautiful, tri-lobed, Middle Bronze Age nuraghe Losa, which is characterised by its daring building techniques. After a short distance, leave the "Carlo Felice" road and head for the Nuraghi sanctuary of Santa Cristina, where there is a well temple (11th century B.C.) that is rightly known for the refined cutting technique and laying of the basaltic stones, which form the steps and sacred well with a false dome.