A historical region, an area in the center of Sardinia and untouched over the centuries by the impervious nature, an area with ancient wild and hidden tribes in the middle of the mountains, we are in the Goceano , one of the historical sub-regions of Sardinia. Currently it includes about 13 thousand inhabitants divided into 9 municipalities, through our excursions we have taken Burgos as a reference point to explore the surroundings and also take a look at other small neighboring villages such as Bono , Bottida and Esporlatu . What comes to my mind thinking about that fantastic day? To the incredible view from the Goceano castle on the small village of Burgos, while the sun slowly went down and gave birth to a new autumn night. What to see in Burgos and surrounding areas? Discovering the Sardinian hinterland.
What to see in Burgos
INDEX
BURGOS
What to see in Burgos and surroundings? This small and charming village rises on the Goceano mountain range and reaches 600 meters in height, so think winter that cold. Luckily our excursion was made pleasant temperatures, we easily explored the small and narrow streets of the village and admired the surroundings. Within the country I recommend the museum of the castles of Sardinia which hosts many temporary exhibitions on castles and thematic maps concerning coastal towers. You will notice several murals around the small town, such as those positioned near the main church of the village. From there it is possible to admire all the beauty of a medieval fortress perched on a summit, the Castello del Goceano . Beyond the streets and sites there are also Sardinian sweets, this in fact is the land of preparation of many typical Sardinian sweets such as Sas Tiliccas, Sas cozzulas and sas copulettas. Try them, it will be a sensational discovery
BURGOS CASTLE
Among a mountain of castles that Genoese, Doria and the Malaspina built in Sardinia, the castle of Goceano (or Burgos) was certainly the richest in history with legends and painful memories. The Castle stands on a completely isolated granite point, practically inaccessible from any part. The fortress was surrounded by a triple wall, now remains can still be observed. In the center of the fortress a large tower and now it is still possible to see the wells. This is in excellent condition and was used to collect water for both household and livestock purposes. The history of the castle speaks for itself, wars upon wars with a lot of blood shed both inside and in the areas surrounding the castle up to the crucial date of about 1500 (from 1100 when it was built). The castle was abandoned and the force of nature took over, slowly disintegrating it. It was still a beautiful visit, I did not expect to be so "small" inside the castle, admiring the large "windows" and the incredible landscape below.
BURGOS FOREST
Immersed in a deathly silence and surrounded by a green and luxuriant nature, here, in front of our eyes, totally abandoned buildings that hide a story of lived life that lasted tens of years. Welcome to the Burgos Forest , where man and horse were somehow connected through a lifestyle, a job and a compulsion for the love of the homeland. The area was a military complex dedicated to police training and horse training, briefly defined as a government breeding center . The whole area of Foresta Burgos has now become a ghost, surrounded by a disturbing ghostly atmosphere. Nature, it is she who has taken total control of the whole area, including buildings. The history of this site is quite particular, from an area dedicated to agriculture the Army made it a government breeding center in the early 1900s. The army has greatly increased its activity during the First World War, the animals were in fact used in the war scenarios of the period.
During the Second World War, however, technology meant that the role of animals was almost useless, the military slowly left the area and the equine training center became Ozieri horse-raising institute, horses no longer rode the battlefields but the equestrian ones. Recently i Carabinieri have taken over the horse-training center with the aim precisely of making it into a carabinieri equestrian center, but one thing is certain, the area that used to be the village of Burgos is completely abandoned and includes several buildings and a small church (perhaps the only one that can withstand the impact of nature). Government laws, various rules and numerous ordinances, this was not enough to ensure that Burgos Forest was taken over by the wild nature made up of plants, trees and pastures of sheep and oxen around the streets of abandoned buildings. An experience to live, I recommend, will be a total immersion with the hope of imagining, in some way, what life was like between 1900 and 1960.
MONTE PISANU AND SOS NIBBIROS
We are in the municipality of Bono and therefore in the surroundings of Burgos. A property owned by the state property and protected since 1886, we are talking about the forest of Monte Pisanu is characterized by an abundance of downy oaks, cork oaks and holm oaks and is the ideal place for beautiful walks and trekking excursions. We also recommend this place to families with children, it is perfect for breathing pure air immersed in the green of the island, admiring nature, there is a picnic area with numerous wooden tables and also a play area. Inside the forest barracks ask to access the xylotheque , you will admire an interesting cataloging of tree species, this could also be a beautiful example of environmental education for adults and especially children.
What to see in Burgos and around Monte Pisanu? Sos Nibbiros, 7 hectares of protected area located within the Monte Pisanu forest. In case of a visit to the Monte Pisanu area it will be easy to continue along the main road inside the forest to admire what was declared in 1994 a Natural Monument by the Department of Environmental Defense of the Sardinia Region, Sos Nibbiros . The yews that populate it are in some cases millenary and reach 15 meters in height, with stems of about 1 meter. In relation to this I can only recommend another area that I discussed in an article on Bolotana and its surroundings , the Agora dei Tassi where the oldest badger in Italy is present and among the oldest in Europe, its age. is 1200 years old.
ESPORLATU, BOTTIDE AND BONO
In the immediate vicinity of Burgos there are several small villages to note. Esporlatu , the smallest town in the historic region of Goceano with its 400 inhabitants boasts an incredible culinary tradition, the dish based on broad beans, wild fennel and lard ( Sa Piscadura ) stands out above all. The beauty of the small village can be seen in the middle of the narrow and decorated streets, to take note for a possible visit the Nuraghe Erismanzanu, a single tholos tower built in trachyte that has emphasized its "beauty" due to the dense vegetation present at the top, unfortunately I cannot consider it "beautiful" since the same vegetation is only a cancer for the nuraghe, growing does nothing else than to enlarge the nuraghe itself, destroying it over time. It is absolutely to be preserved and protected, like all archaeological sites in Sardinia. In the Burgos area you should also see the villages of Bono , with some beautiful murals and Bottida which aroused great interest in me. First of all, many murals in every part of the small village, secondly the atmosphere that reigns throughout the town that gives the feeling of Sardinia Vera thirdly the beautiful colored staircase that creates originality and somehow stands out in a particular area of the village.
