BURGOS

Panoramica del paese di Tula

LOCATION AND TERRITORY

Located in central-northern Sardinia, in the region known as Goceano, the territory of Burgos extends as a long, and rather narrow, strip of land in a transverse direction from north-west to south-east.

Burgos is considered a predominantly mountainous territory, especially in the northern and central portion, with all the reliefs exceeding 700 meters above sea level, and which progressively increase in altitude towards the south until reaching the highest elevation in the 1027 meters of the mountains in the localities of “Mela cugada” and “sa Ucca ’e Padronu”.

From this maximum elevation the territory slopes towards the south-east, where the inhabited centre is located, built at about 600 meters above sea level, and until reaching the southern border, which is part of the upper Tirso valley, where it is precisely this watercourse that marks the south-eastern border with the territory of Bottidda. It is here that the lowest altimetric point of the entire territory of Burgos is reached, at 207 meters above sea level. And it is precisely Bottidda that is the municipality with which Burgos shares most of its borders. These embrace the territory of Burgos from the northwest, north, and continue along its entire length to the territorial extremity to the southeast, where a good part of the border is made by the river “Rio Nicola Nae”, which flows into the river Tirso.

For a short stretch, the western border of Burgos is with the territory of Illorai, while from west to south and southeast, Burgos borders with Esporlatu. It is another tributary of the river Tirso, the “Rio Molinu”, which marks a long stretch of the border with this latter town.

The differences in altitude of Burgos give us very varied territorial characteristics with dense forests of oaks, chestnuts, conifers and other species belonging to the Mediterranean scrub present above all in the northern part of the territory, such as in the characteristic locality of “Montes”, and flat and more easily cultivable expanses in the southern portion, called instead “Su Campu”.

In the northern part of the territory of Burgos there is a compendium called “Foresta di Burgos”, whose name was given for obvious reasons, due to the presence of dense forests of oaks, chestnuts, yews, and various needle-like species, and which has considerable historical importance. After the unification of Italy in 1861, it was realized that, if compared to other European nations, in Italy there was a scarcity of culture, knowledge, and structures in the equine sector. The horse served both as a driving force for work in the fields, and as an important means of military defence, and in this the nation was in strong deficit. It was therefore decided to establish suitable centres to satisfy this lack, called Royal Horse Breeding Deposits, in order to select, prepare and breed horse breeds that could satisfy both the civilian and military needs of that time.

The Foresta complex was born towards the end of the 1880s and experienced continuous growth both as a horse breeding farm and as a human presence, which saw, in addition to the military, also numerous civilians living there in the built structures, including a church and schools, and which had given rise to a real village, which around the middle of the last century came to exceed 400 inhabitants. Today only the ruins of the village remain, and the only inhabitants of this place continue to be the horses.

THE TOWN

Seen from above, the town of Burgos has the shape of a crescent, whose lower tip is marked by the symbol of both this town and the entire Goceano, the castle. Built on a rocky hill overlooking the valley below, today it appears as an irregular structure whose remains of the fortification walls enclose a square-plan tower, several rooms intended for residential use, and the ruins of a cistern used to collect rainwater.

It is right at the foot of the castle that the town originated, and it is precisely this part that characterizes the historic centre, with narrower streets and leaning housing structures. The expansion of Burgos occurred towards the north with more regular road networks and buildings of larger dimensions established following the contour lines of the hills that host the town.

Not far from the castle, there is the “Museum of the Castles”, which is spread over three floors and offers visitors both temporary and permanent exhibitions, representing scenes of life, especially of daily rural life, and a very interesting section on the geographical maps used in the past by the Spanish. Finally, there is a new multimedia section that allows you to admire glimpses of past life thanks to realistic three-dimensional reproductions.

In the centre of the town is the main square, in front of the parish church dedicated to Sant’Antonio Abate.

Walking through the narrow streets of the village, you can notice ancient stone buildings alternating with more modern buildings and brighter colours, fountains and gardens, interspersed with the various economic activities present especially in the main streets, but with the omnipresent castle in the background dominating the entire town.

ORIGINS AND HISTORY

The presence of domus de Janas in the northern part of the Burgos territory indicates that these places were inhabited since the recent Neolithic. The human presence becomes more marked during the Nuragic period, from which several towers remain, both with simple structures and with complex structures, some of which still show the presence of villages with the remains of the characteristic huts.

The Roman era does not leave any evidence directly in the Burgos territory, but the communication routes built by them are not far away and of which there are still traces; therefore, their frequentation in these places cannot be excluded.

The medieval period instead gives us what is perhaps the most representative symbol of the human presence in these territories, the Goceano castle, today also known as Burgos castle. Yet, at the beginning it was only the first of these two names to indicate the construction of the manor, given that the village was built about two centuries later.

In this historical period, Sardinia was divided into Giudicati, independent entities that administered the different portions of the island territory, and Burgos was part of the Giudicato of Torres, which at a certain time had Ardara as its capital. However, the castle of Ardara had always been easily attacked and therefore for security reasons it was decided to look for a safer place in which to take refuge and better exercise control of the kingdom. This led to the choice of the relief on which to build an impregnable castle, which is the one that can still be seen today in Burgos. Its construction was wanted by the chief Gonario of Torres in a period indicated by scholars in the early 30s of the 12th century.

The castle suffered numerous attacks from invaders, both internal to the Giudicato and from other Giudicati such as that of Arborea, but the various Giudicati who succeeded each other managed to maintain dominance over those who sought invasion, and remained as a stronghold of the Giudicato of Torres until the death of Adelasia in 1259, which decreed the end of the Giudicato, having left no male heirs. The fortress thus passed into the hands of the Doria family first, and into those of the Giudicato of Arborea later.

Wars against the Aragonese invasion in Sardinia were very frequent in that period, but the Giudicato of Arborea still managed to hold their own against the Spanish for several decades. One of the most important chief of Arborea, certainly the one who marked the history of Burgos, was Mariano IV, who expressed the desire to build, from scratch, a village on the slopes of the castle.

It was 1337 when Mariano IV issued the decree to found the new village, in which he welcomed inhabitants from other places, granting them in exchange the usufruct of the lands and the possibility of building houses. The story is a bit controversial as to how these inhabitants came to settle in these territories, whether they came of their own free will or forced by the judge himself, but many scholars agree that about 25 families came from Villanova Monteleone. 

Mariano IV was considered a very important historical figure also for the issuing of some statutes on the government and administration of the territories, including the “Carta del Goceano”, and the “Carta de Logu”, also revised by another important figure of the Giudicato of Arborea, his daughter Eleonora. Eleonora was the chief of Arborea from 1383 until her death in 1402 due to the wave of plague that occurred on the island. With her disappearance, the Giudicato of Arborea also began to falter and the chiefs who succeeded her were not up to the task of dealing with the Aragonese invasions that were taking place in the territory and throughout the island, and which culminated with the Spanish conquest of the whole of Sardinia in 1420.

The Goceano Castle was always considered such an important stronghold that the battles for its conquest continued for over two centuries, at least until the beginning of the 17th century, and then it was gradually abandoned.

THE ETYMOLOGY OF THE NAME

The name of the town derives from the Latin “Burgus”, which in turn should derive from the Greek word meaning fortress, indicating a fortified village or city with the presence of a castle.

ECONOMY

The economy of Burgos is strongly linked to the products of the land, with livestock farming, especially sheep, outgrowing agriculture, which was once much more flourishing. The Foresta Burgos complex today hosts a mounted police detachment, which also employs several civilian employees.

The construction sites managed by the Forestas Agency, a regional body that deals with forestry and greenery maintenance, also contribute to the country’s economy. 

From a tourism point of view, the Burgos castle attracts numerous visitors curious to learn about the almost thousand-year history of this fortress. Activities related to tourism also include an important educational farm where you can appreciate ancient and modern crafts linked to the rural nature of the area, such as milking and cheesemaking.

FESTIVALS AND FAIRS

The patron saint holiday of Burgos is the one in honour of Sant’Antonio Abate celebrated on 17 January in the parish church of the same name. An organizing committee takes care of all aspects of the festival, both religious and civil. As for the former, they prepare a large bonfire that is lit on the evening of the evening of the16 to remember, with great devotion, the important relationship that this Saint had with fire. Masses are also celebrated, and there are also civil celebrations that include moments of conviviality and joy.

On 18 March, instead, the celebrations for the feast of San Salvatore are held, in which all those who have this name in the town, but also those who have emigrated over the years, gather to organize a lunch to pay homage to the Saint with a mass in the church dedicated to him in Foresta Burgos.

In Burgos, the celebrations in honour of San Giovanni are also held, on 24 June. In the past, bonfires were lit in the various districts of the town for this celebration, while in more recent times only religious celebrations are held, sometimes also civil with the presence of an organizing committee.

The last celebration in chronological order during the year is the one that celebrates San Leonardo and is held on 6 November. Both religious and civil celebrations last several days and include folkloristic days of songs and poetry competitions, accompanied by musical events.

In addition to the celebrations related to the celebration of the saints, two important events are held in Burgos.

One is usually held in April and is called “Foresta in Festa”, which takes place in the small hamlet of Foresta Burgos, during which you can do various activities both with horses and on foot, in the various walks to discover the territory and its archaeological and naturalistic routes, which also include excursions by canoe or quad. The event also includes a food festival with the possibility of tasting typical local products, accompanied by musical performances of traditional music and dances.

Another important festival in Burgos takes place towards the end of November and the beginning of December and is called “Prendas de Adelasia”, during which you can admire re-enactments of ancient crafts, especially medieval ones, workshops and representations of typical activities of that period, such as those of falconers and archers. The festival is also an exhibition of local handicrafts and tasting of typical products prepared in various inns in the historic centre.

GASTRONOMY

The traditional cuisine of Burgos is deeply rooted in the products of local livestock and agriculture.

Among the typical dishes, alongside “gnocchetti” and “ravioli”, which are widespread throughout Sardinia, the “Piscadura” stands out, a rich broth made from broad beans and lard to which other ingredients can also be added, such as pieces of meat, depending on availability or family variations.

Another very popular dish is boiled sheep in broth, a preparation that enhances a meat often present in the cuisine of the area. As second courses, roast suckling pig and lamb cannot be missed.

As for desserts, the tradition varies according to religious and popular celebrations. “Telicas”, “Papassinos”, and “Cattas”, among others, make every holiday a special occasion.

CHURCHES AND ARCHAEOLOGY

The parish church of Burgos is dedicated to Sant’Antonio Abate and is located in the main square of the town, not far from the historic centre. Originally it was a modest-sized church built at the beginning of the 17th century, while the current structure is the result of renovations and expansions that took place around the 1820s.

The gabled façade, aesthetically very simple, plastered and painted white, has a higher part in the centre corresponding to the central nave, with a square door embellished with two semi-columns on the sides and an architrave, above which there is a semicircular oculus.

The bell tower is located on the left side behind the façade, has a square plan and is made of exposed stone blocks that end in a pyramidal shape at the top.

Inside, the church has a single central nave with four arches corresponding to the side chapels, three on the left side and four on the right side.

The church of Sant’Antonio Abate is today the only place of worship within the town, while in the past, right near the same parish church, there was also the church dedicated to San Leonardo, who is the patron saint of Villanova Monteleone, the town from which the first families who contributed to the birth of the village of Burgos arrived.

The second church in the territory of Burgos is located about 12 km from the town in the hamlet of Foresta Burgos and is dedicated to San Salvatore. The building dates back to the end of the 19th century and a plaque on a wall gives us the exact indication of the years of its construction, 1889-1890.

The building was built in neo-medieval style with exposed blocks of red trachyte alternating with blocks of pink trachyte and has a gabled façade with an arched decoration in the upper part, below which there is a rose window embellished with wrought iron elements and also framed by exposed stone, which surmounts a small canopy with the function of protecting the arched door below.

The Art Nouveau bell tower is located on the left side on the back side of the façade. It has an octagonal plan and starting from the upper half there are two levels of openings, with the four upper openings housing the bells, and which end with an apical cusp and an iron cross.

The side walls have two large, mirrored oculi corresponding to the altar, and two other openings, an arched window on the left side and an arched door on the right side, allow light to enter the church. The interior has a single room, a wooden mezzanine above the entrance door that once housed the organ that accompanied the songs of the mass, while other elements in wrought iron and wood contribute to the embellishment of this small country sanctuary.

The hamlet of Foresta Burgos and its surroundings are rich in archaeological finds that testify to the human presence in this territory since the Neolithic era.

The complex called “S’Unighedda” includes domus de Janas, a tomb of the giants, and even a nuraghe. But probably the most interesting Nuragic complex in the Burgos area, just south of the “S’Unighedda” complex, is the nuraghe “Sa Costa”, also known as “Sa Reggia”. It is a complex nuraghe made up of a central tower and four secondary towers joined by corridors, walls, courtyards, and with the remains of a surrounding village that included at least 40 huts.

These and other important archaeological sites make this territory, rich in history but also in legends, an absolute must-see place, immersing yourself in a thousand-year-old past that can still be appreciated today.

ON THE TERRITORY

Nuraghe Costa

Nuraghe Figuniedda

Nuraghe Longu

Nuraghe S’Edra

Nuraghe Su Fraile

Domus de Janas S’Unighedda

USEFUL NUMBERS

PHARMACY SANT'ANNA

Via Cavour, 8
Tel. 079 4921721

POLICE OR CARABINIERI STATION

Stazione di Burgos
Via Marconi, 4
Tel. 079 793502

TOWN HALL

Via Marconi, 1
Tel. 079 793505

PETROL STATION GS SolinaService

S.P. 10m Km 48,01 – BOTTIDDA
Tel.

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