Bonorva

(Photo from Wikipedia)

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Located 50 km southeast of Sassari, in the Logudoro region, a territory that in the Middle Ages, constituted the ancient Giudicato of Torres. The place name derives from the Latin "Bonus Orbis," meaning "good land."

In ancient times it seems to have been built in "Su Monte" (M. Cacau) and had the church of San Simeone as its parish. It is said that that lookout position was chosen by the people of the valleys surrounding the present town out of a need for security, because, from that point, where the Campeda plateau ends, the territory below could be controlled. They were seeking, in fact, a refuge so that they could defend themselves from the raids of the Moors who, after sacking the coast of Bosa, pushed inland into the Bonorva area. The abandonment of S. Simeone is supposed to have been brought about by the plague of 1376. The inhabitants then descended from the high plateau and settled on the slopes of Muristene, where the villa of Bonorva was refounded with the new parish of Santa Vittoria. The fantastic aspect of the abandonment is the legend of the "Maghedde Flies," sent by God as punishment for their sins. They stung and killed everyone they encountered, until a "righteous man" locked them in an amphora that he sealed and buried under the church of St. Simeon. The inhabitants offered the saint part of their wealth, a treasure they locked up in another amphora which they buried next to the flies.

 

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THINGS TO SEE

Among the vanished settlements in Bonorva territory is Rebeccu, which is located on the road leading to Foresta Burgos, abandoned for years and consists of small houses, a cemetery and a small church. It apparently competed with Bonorva for domination of the valley and is linked to the legend of Donoria, the last of the three daughters of the village's feudal lord. It is said that she frequented witches in the area and her father, urged on by the population, drove her out of the village. She went away cursing and cursing the inhabitants with a prophecy: the village would have no more than 30 houses! The women could no longer bear children and the strong men died of malaria, the houses almost all collapsed, the fountain began to dry up, and the fields became less fertile. Gradually the inhabitants fled and took refuge in Bonorva.

At 300 m from Rebeccu we find the sacred fountain of Su Lumarzu, a pre-Nuragic fountain, closed almost completely by a stone dome with a diameter of 97 cm, at the base of which, a 50 cm window opens for drawing water. The existence of seats placed on either side of the fountain suggest that in antiquity it was the site of sacred ceremonies and also of ordeal trials, a kind of practice according to which a person's innocence or guilt was determined through a painful trial or duel. The fountain was "purified," in the Christian era, by the engraving of a Latin cross on the closing slab.

Not far from the spring is the Necropolis of Sant'Andrea Priu, one of the largest in Sardinia, with Domus de Janas excavated on a vertical wall. Some 20 burials, with three tombs of particular interest: the "Tomb of the Chief" comprising 18 rooms, covering 250 square meters, the "Circular Hut Tomb" and the "Chamber Tomb."

Another historic place with dozens of nuraghi, unfortunately poorly marked and therefore difficult to locate, is the extinct volcano of Monte Cujaru.

From 2007 to 2014, the Rebeccu Film Festival was held on August 24-25 in the tiny medieval village.

At carnival, the typical races, the Pariglias Bonorvesas, entertain enthusiastic tourists while in mid-August there is the festival of su Zichi, an ancient durum wheat bread, a soft or crunchy circular flatbread, and, at the same time, "Mustras," a handicrafts market exhibition featuring typical local products, including carpets, fine embroidery, excellent food and tasty Sardinian sweets. A stay in a B&B and a stop at an agritourism are ideal for savoring the flavors of these lands and enjoying a relaxing vacation, discovering the immeasurable secrets of a fascinating area rich in history.