We are in the territory of the Meilogu , a mainly volcanic area that with the characteristic conical hills make their appearance very unique in the context of a geologically ancient land. In this area the soils are among the most fertile and the whole area is rich in pastures. In our itinerary we have analyzed a large area and for this article we have taken Cossoine as a reference point from which to start an open-air museum. Before making the itinerary I asked myself, what to see in Cossoine and especially in the surrounding areas? Many answers, many fascinating places and many emotions told in this article made available to everyone.
What to see in Cossoine
INDEX
COSSOINE
What to see in Cossoine and surroundings? 750 inhabitants, a small village that bases its economy on agriculture thanks also to the incredible landscape that surrounds it made up of enormous grazing and cultivation meadows (campu gravesu). It is certain that in the area where Cossoine was born there was a high concentration of "prehistoric life" also because it was located in the central area of the famous and popular valley of the nuraghi. Our passage through Cossoine was rather quick in visiting some sites of interest such as the church of San Sebastiano, the beautiful murals that we will talk about shortly, and the discovery of some interesting curiosities. The canto a tenore (Unesco heritage) : both Sardinians and travelers who come to Sardinia almost certainly know the characteristic Sardinian tenor singing. Some historical sources mention that this village had the particular characteristic that it was not the men who were singing, as usual, but the women, even for more than 1 century.
Let's talk about art, because it is one of the most interesting factors of the village . The town is in fact dotted with murals everywhere and there are several right in the main street of Cossoine. Elderly ladies who hang out the clothes, elderly gentlemen who leave the house, children who return from school and even real processions. Among the various artists we can also recognize the hand of one of the most popular and well-known Sardinian artists, Angelo Pilloni . All the murals have meanings, express emotions, release happiness, depression, malaise or in general tell, through a drawing, what could have been the daily life of a local. It is art, a wonderful art that we are rediscovering through these small villages, such as Cossoine, which should be protected and protected, not depopulated.
What to see in Cossoine and surroundings? The sound stones of Sciola . We talked about Pilloni, a well-known Sardinian artist, but one of the most famous faces of the Italian and international art scene, Pinuccio Sciola , also passed through Cossoine. There are in fact some sound stones made by Sciola, who besides being a pioneer of Sardinian muralism was the creator of the stones that "sing" . He made cuts, cracks, shaped the stone until he could free his voice and soul with a simple caress of his hand. With a spell, Sciola thus gave life to a material considered static, cold and dead for many. It is absolutely worth a look and then, a study
SANTA MARIA ISCALAS CHURCH
We parked the car, got out and started our climb to the church, on top of a small mountain . I remember that it was about 400 meters but with a 45% slope between the beautiful green of nature and a small stream that passes nearby. As soon as we arrived, our gaze remained imprinted on 2 things, the first: the magnificent little country church With a border of daisies, the second: the large parking lot, so continuing down the same street where we stopped we could have come within 3 meters of the church, great I thought, it will be for next time.
It is a beautiful church a few kilometers from Cossoine that absolutely deserves to be seen both for the landscape and for knowing part of its history. Unfortunately the church was closed and therefore we could not admire the inside and I personally had seen some photos of the church in the winter, completely covered with snow, an incredible sight. Instead, we visited the church in the autumn period, there were 20 degrees, a magnificent sun and a field of daisies as a side dish. Gorgeous even without the snow I thought.
It represented the center of the ancient village of Iscalas , today the ruins of this small monastery of Camaldolese friars remain on the site. A church that crosses the history of the Malaspina because in the moment of greatest conflict between the Malaspina and the Aragonese, the friars complain about the raids in the countryside of the latter and ask to build a fortification to protect themselves. History, charm, beauty, this is definitely worth a visit, but be careful, you can safely leave your car in the large parking lot 3 meters from the church. So we have answered the usual question, what to see in Cossoine and its surroundings?
AIDU-CORRUOE NURAGIC COMPLEX
My suggestion is definitely a visit to this large nuragic complex as well. For us it was a very quick transition due to the daily schedule (I still had several sites to visit and you know, in autumn the days get shorter). In any case it is important to know and enhance the site with a guide who, with his in-depth knowledge, can best explain the characteristics of the complex. Consider that with the presence of two nuraghi, the remains of a village and a giant's tomb, the site of Aidu-Corruoe constitutes a significant set for the reconstruction of historical events throughout the territory of Cossoine. Give us a little thought.
