BANARI

Located in the northwestern part of Sardinia, about 30 km from Sassari, lies the town of Banari. Sheltered to the south by “Mount Sa Silva”, which is also the highest point of the territory at about 580 meters above sea level and serves as a border with the town of Bessude. The territory of Banari slopes down to the north to an imposing valley, which is also one of the lowest points of the territory at about 200 meters above sea level, known as S’Adde Manna, from which the hills that border Siligo then start again towards the north.

For a slight stretch to the north, Banari also borders with Florinas, while to the west we find the border with Ittiri, and to the east again the territory of Siligo. “Mount Sa Silva”, whose name already indicates a wooded area reserved for hunting and wood gathering, has been the subject of an important reforestation project and today appears as a forest with total coverage mainly by pines but with the presence and development of oaks and other trees and bushes that form an excellent composition of Mediterranean scrub.

There are two main rivers that cross the territory of Banari, one of which, the “Bidighinzu” river, crosses the territory from south to west, and the other, the “S’Adde” river, crosses it from north to west, until both join to form the so-called “Riu Mannu”. The “S’Adde” river is the one that flows in the “S’Adde Manna” valley, and it is interesting how other small watercourses flow into the main river, some of which cross jumps that at greater heights give rise to real waterfalls of impressive beauty, especially in spring.

The town originally developed on two districts, one around the church of San Lorenzo, and the other in the surroundings of the church of San Michele, has seen a development of the modern town center with construction of houses also on the sides of the “provincial road 41” bis that connects the town of Siligo to the one of Ittiri, and which, by incorporating the two original districts, form what is the current residential structure of the town.

The buildings that we find today date back mainly to the 19th century and show a strong use of the typical local stone which is the red trachyte, extracted from quarries not far from the town and skillfully worked by master stonecutters, both for the structural blocks and for the ornaments that embellish the smaller houses but also the palaces in which the nobles and great feudal lords once lived. One of the examples is the Solinas palace, which today houses the town hall of Banari. Red trachyte has been used for other architectural elements in the squares, alleys, fountains and public washhouses, many of which are still in use, and is an almost absolute protagonist of the architecture of the town.

Various murals and sculptures embellish the town, such as those of the famous local artist Giuseppe Carta, who has several permanent exhibitions such as the one in the contemporary art museum of the “Logudoro Meilogu Foundation”.

The etymology of the current name of Banari is thought to have its origins rooted in the territory. The first written evidence reports the wording “Vanari”, which would indicate the empty spaces between valleys and hills that characterize the territory.

A second theory, also linked to the morphology of the territory, would report the name “Ana’ry” which means “above the rivers”. The name would seem to be attested between the end of the 11th and the beginning of the 12th century. A further theory on the origin of the name, in this case “Fanari”, indicates the provenance from the Greek “Fanos”, meaning lantern, but there would be no historical references on it.

The economy of Banari in the past was mainly based on agriculture and livestock farming, and both are still a source of income today, also through the transformation of products resulting from the work of skilled cheesemakers and salami makers.

Alongside these activities, and thanks to the presence of red trachyte quarries, especially in times gone by, there were numerous craftsmen who, with their mastery, carved stone blocks to obtain any shape they desired, both as building blocks and as ornaments and finishes.

The church of patron San Lorenzo has very ancient origins, we do not know exactly the year in which it was built, but we know that it already existed in the early years of the 12th century, as it was donated to the monks coming from Camaldoli by the “Giudice of Torres”. The sanctuary has undergone several renovations, including the last one in the 19th century in which the façade was also redone, which today appears in the lower half made of trachyte blocks that are then repeated in the bell tower, while in the upper half it is white.

Together with the church of San Lorenzo, the Giudice of Torres also donated the church of San Michele Arcangelo to the monks, therefore both have the same construction dates. This church built in Romanesque style has also undergone several renovations.

The third church in the city center is that of Santa Croce, of more recent origin than the first two, built between the end of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th century, today it is an oratory, and from the last renovation it can be noted how the use of trachyte is predominant.

About 6 km from the town in the direction of Ittiri, almost on the border with Florinas, is the church of Santa Maria di Cea. It was built between the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th century in Romanesque style and using limestone blocks. The church is part of a larger complex also consisting of a cloister and various residential structures, so-called “hermitage”, which are thought to have been intended for monks who wanted to exile themselves and gather in prayer.

The archaeological sites that can be visited in the territory of Banari include the underground necropolis of “Ziu Juanne”, which should be seven but of which at present only four tombs have been found, and the Domus de Janas “Su Crabione”, of smaller dimensions.

As for the nuraghes, there are several in the area and they too contribute to showing the ancient glories of Banari.