Oschiri

The town is located at the foot of Mount Limbara in the province of Olbia-Tempio. Some scholars believe that the place name derives from the Greek word Oskiros, fortress.

After Roman domination, during which a castrum was built to defend against Corsican and bailiff invasions, in the Middle Ages it came under the curatorship of Monte Acuto. In the 11th century it was endowed with an imposing castle, in which Adelasia of Torres signed the deed donating the giudicato to the pontiff in case she died without heirs. With the end of the giudicato, however, it passed into the hands of several lordships, the Doria, Malaspina, Giudici d'Arborea and Aragonese. The latter two families disputed it for a long time, until in the 18th century it became the possession of the Tellez-Giron.

In the mid-19th century it appeared as one of the richest regions in the whole of Sardinia. Thanks to the construction of the railroad, it found itself for a long time at the center of the two most important communication routes that connected the north coast with the rest of the island. In 1927 the construction of the dam on the Coghinas River and the lake of the same name led to the birth of one of the first industrial experiences in northern Sardinia.

 

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THINGS TO SEE

Over 70 Domus de Janas, those of Malghesi with 25 domus, and those of Pedredu with 10 domus with the oldest evidence. The dolmens and menhirs of Monte Cuccu, Monte Ulìa, and Berre are important, and the mysterious rocks of Santo Stefano should not be overlooked, with engravings of geometric symbols in the rock, which seem to constitute evidence of man's interest in an iconography inspired by cosmic religions, practiced by ancient pastoral peoples.

As many as 60 nuragic sites. In that of Lughéria the now famous bronze cart, probably a chest intended to hold precious objects, was found. The find is at the Municipal Archaeological Museum in Oschiri with two bronze votive shuttles also from the Nuragic period.

Monuments to see include the parish church, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, built in the 19th century in classical style; the church of Nostra Signora di Otti and the small church of Nostra Signora di Castro, from the 12th century, which was the seat of the bishop's diocese, located in the stupendous natural environment that also includes a view of the Coghinas reservoir, created by the damming of the river of the same name (which is the confluence of the Mannu stream of Berchidda and the Mannu stream of Ozieri) with a capacity of 254 million cubic meters of water. They allow the operation of the hydroelectric power plant built in 1924 . The dam is 185 meters long and 58 meters high. You can also visit the Su Filigosu State Forest with a wildlife oasis of protected species, fallow deer, mouflon, wild boar, eagles, crags and peregrine falcons. The Oschiri Civic Museum houses a section dedicated to archaeology, with famous finds such as the bronze casket found by Alberto La Marmora (19th century Italian general, naturalist, cartographer and politician).

One of the curiosities that can be heard in the village is about Su Noduladu, an ancient hamlet nestled in a small valley, reachable only by off-road vehicle through a path, where it seems that the people who lived there, because of their isolation, had developed a way of speaking detached from any elementary logic of understanding.

Three major festivals, all religious. That of Our Lady of Castro on the evening of Angel Monday, while on the evening of the last Monday in May there is the procession of Our Lady of Otti and, also in May, the feast of St. Leonard with singing and dancing until late at night.

Oschiri has succeeded over time in boosting the artisanal sector linked above all to local gastronomy, the production of wine, especially Vermentino, and cheeses such as peretta. For several years the Sagra della Panada has been held, pasta stuffed with meat, filled from time to time with pork, lamb, veal, eel, closed by hand with an ornamental stitching, with entertainment, shows, and music in the square to cheer the visitors who decide to stay in the village to enjoy this unique dish.