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Excerpt from: ‘GUIDA AL TERRITORIO itinerari naturalistici G.A.L. Barbagie e Mandrolisai’ –
texts and photographs by: Eng. Francesco Sau, Dr. Pierluigi La Croce, Nanni Marras, Dr. Ignazio
Sau, coordinated by E.L.S.A. snc di Luca Sau.
Our itinerary starts from the Municipal Picture Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art ‘
Antonio Ortiz Echagüe’, sited in the homonymous square. Opposite is Casa Tolu, a vaguely
Art-Nouveau house, with balconies in wrought iron and decorative features on the front door and
around the windows.
The main road emerges onto a wide square, shaped as an amphitheatre, where the ancient church
of San Giorgio looks onto. Along the streets San Giorgio and then, Su Conte, an ancient house on
the right hand of the road, once called Palace of the Counts of San Martino, presents a well
surmounted by a dome, lined with colourful majolica tiles. Going on, piazza Sant'Antioco hosts the
parish church dedicated to the homonymous Saint, in Pisan/Aragonese style, with Gothic interiors.
In the alley to the left of the church is a series of typical houses, with a large front door and a
court, or an open arcade, closed by powerful boundary walls. Going ahead towards via Eleonora,
another interesting mansion in Aragonese style can be admired; it is called Casa Muggianu.
From the outskirts of the village, a road takes to a naturalistic path in the countryside of
Atzara.
From the locality of
Su Cannitzu, a path on the left goes up the hillside between two dry stone walls. The
rocky bottom and the uphill oblige to walk cautiously. After 500 metres on this path, an asphalt
road goes up towards a place called Laonisa; distant about 600 metres, the locality of Santa
Vittoria can be reached. From a rocky spur, where a metal cross has been fixed, the wonderful
panorama of Atzara shows vineyards and fields farmed downstream the houses; the region on the left
is covered by woodlands of downy oak, covering the mountains of
Serra Sa Costa. Opposite Atzara, in a north-east direction, are the ranges of Sorgono and
Tonara. Past the panoramic standpoint, the road continues on a flat level. After half a kilometre,
past a gate marking the access to a private property, a place called
funtana su Mraghine can be reached, shaded by two impressive chestnut trees. Going on the
left for another 500 metres, the path gets smoother, between vineyards and oak woods, with spots of
hazelnut trees and isolated chestnuts. An asphalt road goes up from the village to Laonisa. After
about 300 metres on the left, a fine fountain called
Sa Funtana 'e Laonisa can be seen on the edge of the road. A few hundreds of metres more
lead to another fount,
Sa Funtana 'e Paule, at another junction. Turn right to get to the small church of
Santa Maria 'e Susu; an uphill of 350 metres takes to a new junction and a dirt road,
leading to the locality of ‘Canale’, just at the foot of the ranges of
Ni ‘e Crobu. After about 100 metres, take a new junction and turn left towards a place
called ‘Sa Corona’. The area is equipped with a resting place. The road continues in a slight
downhill for about 400 metres, up to a junction. On the left, for about 250 metres, the path is
definitely sloping, flanked by two dry stone, low walls. The soil shows a few reddish granite
outcrops. A thick vegetation allows to walk in the shadow. After about 500 metres of this evocative
part of the route, a basin appears in the locality of
Sa Corona.
Going on towards the village, after 450 metres on the left, a path to the right hand
intersects a way leading to the rural church of San Giacomo il Maggiore, raised in a place once
hosting the village of Spasulè, a rich borough between Sorgono and Atzara. The church of the
ancient village, which is currently in the territory of Sorgono, is dedicated to Saint James the
Apostle, in a devotion obviously stemming from a Spanish tradition. The village of Spasulè has left
but a few portions of crumbled walls, now concealed by brambles. Yet, the church has been rebuilt –
and very accurately, too – by the Municipality of Sorgono.
Going on towards the village for about one kilometre, an asphalt road can be reached; after
about 300 metres are the outskirts of the village. The total walk covers over 7 Km. On the left,
just before the first houses, a granite monolith (vaguely recalling the sculptures of Easter
Island) catches the eye. The village centre is now at a few hundreds of metres.
