BULTEI

LOCATION AND TERRITORY
The town of Bultei is located in the central-northern part of Sardinia in the region known as Goceano. Its territory is predominantly mountainous with various reliefs that exceed 1000 meters, all present in the vast plateau that overlooks the town and that extends in a transverse direction from the west on the borders with Anela to the north-east on the northern borders with Pattada.
The highest peak is that of “Su Pizzu sa Pedra” which reaches 1141 meters above sea level and is located in the mountainous region known as “Spedrunele” or “Ispedrumele”. This area is rich in woods, especially oaks, such as downy oaks and holm oaks and cork oaks, but also yews, chestnut trees, cedars, maples, and conifers, including the widespread species of black pine laricio, without forgetting shrub species such as heather and cistus.
Also worthy of note are the forests of “Fiorentini”, “Sa Matta”, and that of “Sa Fraigada”, all of great naturalistic interest.
Bultei borders to the northwest with Nughedu San Nicolò and the natural boundary between the two towns is a long river that takes different names depending on the location, such as Riu Campanas and Riu Ferruginoso.
Another long watercourse separates Bultei from Benetutti to the east, named Rio Appiu and Rio Badu, with their tributaries, flow into the most important river of the Goceano, the Tirso, which also contributes to acting as a natural boundary with Benetutti. For a short stretch to the south Bultei also borders with Bono.
The mountainous region in the centre-north gives way to hillier altitudes both to the east and to the south. It is precisely in this last part that the territory is characterized by plains and vast expanses used mainly for grazing and cultivation, and it is the place where the lowest altitudes are found, reaching about 240 meters above sea level. This altimetric excursion of about 900 meters contributes to the presence of territorial characteristics that are also very different from each other even though within the same municipality.
It is precisely in this part of the territory that the San Saturnino spa is located, already known and appreciated since Roman times with the name of “Aquae Lesitanae” for the healing properties of the sulphurous waters that flow there at a constant temperature of about 35° C.
THE TOWN
Bultei was built on the sides of the hills that host it almost to form an amphitheatre.
The town is characterized by a large historic centre where narrow and steep streets and alleys, sometimes paved, connect all parts of the centre and where nineteenth-century buildings alternate with stone houses and more modern buildings.
A residential expansion occurred towards the east using the main road that crosses the town, the state road 128 bis that goes towards Ozieri to the north, and towards the hamlet of Iscra to the south, crossing and connecting various towns of the Goceano.
Stone sculptures, murals, small squares and fountains embellish the entire town.
ORIGINS AND HISTORY
The oldest trace of human settlements in the territory of Bultei is the Dolmen of “Su Coveccu” dating back to the Neolithic, and which was also reused in the subsequent Nuragic era as a tomb of the giants. No presence of domus de Janas has been detected, which were instead widespread in the territories of neighbouring municipalities, even a short distance away, such as those found in Benetutti near the Tirso river, in Anela and in Nughedu San Nicolò.
The Nuragic era has left evidence both in the tombs of the giants and in the nuraghi, and in Bultei two bronze vessels were brought to light, finally worked and of inestimable value, now kept in the archaeological museum of Cagliari. The discovery of coins dating back to the 4th century BC demonstrate how these territories were also frequented by the Punics and Phoenicians.
The remains of buildings and roads also confirm the presence of human settlements in the Roman era, an example are the ruins near the church of San Saturnino, as well as the name of “Aquae Lesitanae” found in some documents dating back to this historical period.
In the Middle Ages there is certainty of the existence of a village called Usolvisi which was located in the region where the Roman baths were found. A document dating back to the second half of the 12th century speaks of a donation of some places of worship to the Camaldolese monks and mentions the name of this village.
There is also news of another village not far from the latter and called Bulterina, but unfortunately, there is no other information on these agglomerations, and even the information on how the current town of Bultei originated is very scarce, apart from the discovery of the remains of several settlements not far from the town centre, but which have now been destroyed.
The period of the Giudicati sees the villa of Bultei as part of that of Torres, in the curatoria (district) of Anela, of which it was part until the fall of the Giudicato in 1259, which was followed by periods of Dorian, Arborean and Aragonese domination. Spanish domination on the island lasted about four centuries, and even when the royal family of Savoy took over around 1720, the feudal regime did not cease to exist, but persisted for almost another century until the revolts and anti-feudal movements that led to the abolition of feudalism and the institution of private property around 1840.
THE ETYMOLOGY OF THE NAME
The names found written on the village have different spellings, including Gulsei and Gulcei. Subsequently, as with other toponyms, the initial “G” was transformed into a “B” leading to the names of Burtei and then to what we know today.
Some theories say that the toponym could refer to the Latin word “Hortus” meaning “garden”, but there is no strong evidence of this connection, and the origin at the moment remains unclear.
ECONOMY
Bultei is based on a predominantly agricultural and pastoral economy with several farms involved in agriculture and land cultivation combined with livestock farming, especially dairy sheep, which is delivered to the nearby dairy factory of Anela.
The exploitation of the land also occurs thanks to the presence of extensive cork oak forests, from which this product is extracted. The cork obtained, after being adequately processed and transformed, has multiple uses, from the production of bottle caps to insulating panels.
A fair share of the economy is also based on the exploitation of the thermal waters of San Saturnino, which in its facilities offers wellness and relaxation treatments to an ever-increasing number of visitors.
FESTIVALS AND FAIRS
The patron saint holiday in Bultei is the one in honour of Santa Margherita celebrated on 20 July. The religious celebrations include mass in the parish church and the procession along the streets of the town, while the civil festivities last several days and include musical evenings and folk events that attract not only the local population but also numerous visitors.
The celebrations in Bultei begin in January with the celebrations for Sant’Antonio Abate that take place on 16 and 17 January in the church of the same name. The 16 is the day of vespers, and as per tradition a large bonfire is lit in which the entire population participates as a convivial moment.
A few days later, on 20 January, the celebrations for San Sebastiano take place. This celebration also includes vespers the evening before, in which the committee that organizes the event prepare and offer roast meat dishes to the faithful and the population. The moments of religiosity with mass and prayers are followed by a tradition that sees the blessing and distribution of oranges to the faithful, the symbolic fruit of the tree to which the Saint was tied before being tortured with arrows.
On 13 May, it is the turn of the celebrations for Our Lady of Fatima, which take place at the country church in the Fiorentini forest, and include mostly religious celebrations followed by a small refreshment to thank the faithful who came to pray.
On 29 and 30 June, in the church named after him, San Pietro is celebrated. Also in this case, the religious celebrations are more attended than the civil ones, which generally include musical and folkloristic events.
In August there are celebrations for both San Francesco and Santa Chiara, on the 11, and for Nostra Signora de S’Altura which is held on the Sunday after mid-August. Both of these celebrations take place in the country churches that are located in the mountainous areas of the territory and include religious rites followed by refreshments for the faithful.
The calendar of religious celebrations in Bultei ends on 30 October with the rites in honour of San Saturnino, in the church of the same name, which, although located in the territory of Bultei, is celebrated by the parish priest of Benetutti due to a tragic event that occurred in the past. The parish priest of Bultei, who had to cross the Tirso river to reach the church, drowned while crossing the waterway, and therefore for safety reasons the celebrations take place through the parish of Benetutti.
GASTRONOMY
The most common dishes of Bultei gastronomy are the classic Sardinian recipes with first courses mainly based on pasta or ravioli, and second courses consisting of meats cooked in different ways.
As a first course, the typical local one is called “sas Pellizzas”, which consists of a dough of semolina and water worked until the mixture is of the right density to form small pieces of pasta. These are cooked by cutting them from the main dough and immersing them directly in boiling salted water, and therefore the first piece of pasta will stay longer in the water than the last, but the skill lies in making all these pieces cook evenly. Once drained, they are seasoned with tomato sauce, basil, and cheese.
Cheeses and cured meats have their space, while as for desserts, here too, traditional island recipes are followed, with examples of “Seadas”, “Papassinos”, “Casadinas”, and so on.
CHURCHES AND ARCHAEOLOGY
The parish church of Santa Margherita is located in the centre of the town and the new structure dates back to the late 1970s to replace a previous church built towards the end of the 16th century. The current church has modern rounded shapes with a rather unusual bell tower that sees the bells suspended on horizontal pillars arranged in a transverse position. The facade also has curved walls and the square door leads to the interior which has a polygonal plan. The vertical windows are arranged on all sides of the structure.
Also in the centre of the town, near the main street, is the church of San Pietro which dates back to the early 19th century. It consists of an aesthetically simple and plastered gabled façade with a large brick bell tower that stands right in the centre of it and raises the upper cornice. The door is square and is surmounted by the sculpture of an arch and a large rose window above. The interior has a single nave that is divided by pointed arches into three bays, while the altar has a large wooden crucifix.
The church of Sant’Antonio Abate is located on the northern outskirts of Bultei. It dates back to the 15th century but has also been renovated in recent times. The façade has two slopes and at the top there is a bell gable made of granite blocks. The square door and the arched window above it are also framed with granite blocks. The right-side wall shows three buttresses. The interior has a single nave divided by pointed arch structures into four areas that lead to the altar.
On the opposite side of the town, that is, in a southern position, overlooking a small square, is the church of San Sebastiano. The building dates back to the 13th century and the current structure has undergone several renovations. It has a rectangular plan with the façade covered in exposed granite blocks, as is the bell tower above the double-pitched roof. A square door leads inside where the single central nave is divided by arches into three rooms that lead to the altar.
In the territory of Bultei there are also several country churches.
The best known is perhaps that of San Saturnino di Usolvisi. It is about 6 km from the town in a south-east direction and dates back to the 12th century. The building was constructed in Romanesque style over the remains of a nuraghe that occasionally emerge and can be seen on the ground. The building materials are exposed blocks of red trachyte, the façade is narrow but tall, embellished with two columns at the extremities that follow the entire height and culminate in the cornice of the gabled roof. There is a main square door while another entrance is located on the side wall, while the bell gable is located opposite the entrance. Internally, the walls are also in exposed blocks and there is a single room.
In a northern position with respect to the town centre, about 10 km from it, and surrounded by greenery is the church of Nostra Signora dell’Altura. It is a fairly recent construction, dating back to the beginning of the last century, consisting of a main building with a gabled roof and a bell gable in granite blocks. Adjacent to this there is a lower room that functions as a sacristy. The walls are in exposed granite stone, sometimes covered with plaster. The two entrance doors to both the chapel and the sacristy are square and there is a larger window between the two entrances and a smaller one above the main door. The interiors consist of two rooms connected to each other.
Traveling about 5 km on the provincial road 161 in a northerly direction towards Pattada, inside the park of “Sa Fraigada” we find the church of San Francesco and Santa Chiara d’Assisi. It is a very recent construction that dates back to the 1970s. Its shape resembles that of a hut and is built by alternating exposed granite blocks with plastered walls. The facade in the central part is painted pink while the arched door is framed with granite inserts and bricks, there is also a rose window above for the entry of light. The square-shaped bell tower is placed in a rear position. Some vertical windows both in the facade and in the side walls allow light to enter the church. The interior of the church is composed of a single room with arches that support the wooden roof.
About 18 km from the town of Bultei in a northerly direction along the provincial road 36 towards Nughedu San Nicolò we find the small church of Our Lady of Fatima. This church is also immersed in nature, in fact it is located in the forest complex of Fiorentini. And it is a very simple construction, of modest dimensions with a white plastered facade and with exposed stone inserts at the lateral ends, and a large door surmounted by an arch that leads to the small internal chapel.
In the territory of Bultei you can find several archaeological sites dating back mainly to the Nuragic era. There are about twenty nuraghi discovered, and a good part of these are located in the north-western mountains of the territory, and some of these are still in good condition. The nuraghe Tilariga is perhaps the best preserved, it is made up of a central tower and two lateral towers with a bastion. The structure also has corridors, several niches, stairs, and some rooms whose nature is unfortunately unclear due to collapses and fillings with debris over the millennia.
Also worthy of note are the tombs of the giants “Sas Presones”, which although not perfectly preserved, show their structure and hints of the original plan.
ON THE TERRITORY
Nuraghe
Nuraghe
Nuraghe
Nuraghe
Nuraghe
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USEFUL NUMBERS
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Tel. 079
POLICE OR CARABINIERI STATION
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TOWN HALL
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PETROL STATION
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