VILLANOVA MONTELEONE

Villanova Monteleone is located in the north-western part of Sardinia, not far from two important cities, Alghero and Sassari. With its 210 square kilometers, Villanova Monteleone has one of the largest territories in the Province of Sassari. The variety of natural elements makes the territory of this town particularly interesting, it is considered predominantly hilly, yet it has both mountainous stretches with reliefs that exceed 700 meters, for example “Pedra Ettori” of about 718 meters high, and coastal stretches that are also quite long, which make up the entire western coast, bathed by the sea of ​​Sardinia. Within its 14 km of coast that form the Villanova Monteleone coastline, we find small inlets formed by very fine sand that alternate with cliffs and wild paths that are sometimes inaccessible, starting from the north with the famous beach of “Poglina” also known as “La Speranza”, on the border with Alghero, up to the small pebble inlet in the locality of “Sa Murena” on the southern border with Bosa.

The variety and environmental importance, with its natural habitats, the flora and fauna, has meant that a large part of the Villanova Monteleone territory, together with other municipalities, fell within a Site of Community Interest (SIC in Italian), called “Hinterland and coastal area between Bosa, Cape Marrargiu and Port Tangone”, established by the European Union in conjunction with the Autonomous Region of Sardinia.

There are several endemic species of flora that characterize the coastal strip, such as the Sardinian-Corsican broom, coastal rosemary, Sardinian mint and thyme, helichrysum, Gattinara herb, holly, laurel, especially along the streams and many other plants. The fauna present in the Villanova Monteleone area also has a crucial importance in the conservation of biodiversity, alongside terrestrial mammals such as the hedgehog, hare and wild rabbit, weasel, wild boar, fox and wild cat, there are also numerous birds of prey, among which the various specimens of golden eagle present in the area stand out. We recall the presence of the Sardinian partridge and the little bustard, present in the grassy plains and in the steppe environments. Finally, we can’t forget the presence and importance of the griffon vulture, a sedentary species with the only natural colony living in Italy, located in the territory of Bosa, a large bird of prey with its meter of height and 3 meters of wingspan, it is a necrophagous vulture that feeds especially on carcasses of decomposing animals. Particularly protected, it risked extinction, but today thanks to various forms of protection and reintroduction into nature it is repopulating various areas of Sardinia. As for the natural monuments, always within the SIC area, at least two are worthy of note, the famous “Rocca Pinta” emerges on a ridge overlooking the sea, a wall formed by solidified volcanic ash that gives the cliff the appearance of an almost lunar landscape. The other particular monument is a gorge called “S’Istrampu de su Segnore”, carved out of volcanic rocks thanks to erosion phenomena that have lasted for millennia, where in the rainiest months a 35/40-meter waterfall forms, and “Sa Rocca de Impicainos”. The long northern border shared with Alghero, Putifigari and Ittiri is characterized by flat lands that alternate with plateaus. Villanova Monteleone borders to the east with Thiesi for a short stretch, with Romana and with Monteleone Rocca Doria, a town with which it shares several strips of the artificial lake “Temo”. The southeastern border is instead with the territory of Padria, where we find another important naturalistic site: “Mount Minerva”. A relief that reaches almost 650 meters of altitude with a vast plateau of about 150 hectares at the top where on the extreme tip facing north-west, we remember the presence of a single-tower nuraghe watchtower (called Concarados), where 4/5 rows of ashlars are still visible, and from which you can enjoy a breathtaking panorama as far as the eye can see.

This naturalistic oasis is characterized by thick woods, formed mainly by holm oaks, downy oaks, cork oaks and steep vertical walls in trachyte, but also by man-made artefacts such as the “Palace Minerva” complex which houses buildings that have a cultural purpose but also intended for catering and social aggregation.

Finally, in addition to Padria, Villanova Monteleone borders also the territories of Bosa and Montresta.

Seen from above, the town of Villanova Monteleone appears as a long, narrow strip that extends from northwest to southeast and is crossed entirely by the Via Nazionale, which is also the state highway 292, which connects the town to Alghero to the north and which reaches as far as Oristano to the south. The town has a rather irregular layout, which develops on a slope on the ridge that hosts it, and is characterized by narrow streets, sometimes paved, open spaces, small squares and stairways. Twentieth-century stone houses alternate with Art Nouveau buildings, while many of the residential structures are developed on several floors, following the vertical trend of the town.

The town is also home to some buildings of some importance, such as the current Town Hall, dating back to the second half of the 18th century, which once housed the home of Count Minerva and the palace known as “Palatu ’e Sas Iscolas”, built at the end of the 19th century to house schools, which had that function until the 1980s, today it is home to a cultural center.

A short distance from this building stands another Liberty-style palace dating back to the beginning of the last century and known as “Sa Domo Manna”. Today it houses the ethnographic museum dedicated to Sebastiano, known as Bastià Pirisi, with a permanent exhibition of objects and tools linked to the agricultural and pastoral activities of the past, such as the transformation of products derived from the land, such as wheat and milk, and the spinning of fabrics. The museum also houses rooms dedicated to the famous extemporaneous poet Remundu Piras.

The town is embellished with numerous murals, depicting mainly scenes of everyday life.

The first written attestation of the name Villanova is in a document dating back to 1364. This name appears to be formed by two parts “Villa” and “Nova” to indicate a settlement, a new village of recent (new) formation. The historical region was Nurcara, originally Nurkar, a Villa Nova of the Monteleone region. This second part of the name is also formed by two parts, “Monte” and “leone” (lion’s mountain), referring to Brancaleone Doria, belonging to the family of the great feudal lords of that historical period.

The economy of Villanova Monteleone has its cornerstones in agriculture and livestock farming. In the past, agricultural activities were used for the production of wheat and grains to feed animals, while in more recent times many of these lands have been used for grazing, and agricultural activities were mostly vineyards and olive groves, even if at a family level.

An important source of income is cork cultivation, thanks to the presence of vast forests of cork oaks and skilled extractors of the planks, which are also sent abroad for processing. The largest portion of the Villanova economy is based on livestock farming, especially sheep, even if there is a strong presence of cattle, pigs and horses. The horse has always been a precious animal for this town, mainly Anglo-Arab Sardinian horses are bred for competition with excellent results also at a national level, with skilled riders who pass on the tradition.

Linked to the territory is perhaps the most important industry in the country, called the “Cooperativa Allevatori Villanovesi”, which every year transforms millions of litres of milk into cheeses of various kinds and exports them throughout the country and abroad.

Craftsmanship is mainly linked to the textile sector with various artisanal productions of carpets, blankets, curtains, but also clothing accessories.

The tourist reception sector has developed a lot especially in recent times thanks to the birth of numerous accommodation facilities, such as bed and breakfasts and agritourism.

Along Via Nazionale, overlooking the main square, stands the parish church of San Leonardo Limoges, the building dates back to the 16th century and was built in Catalan Gothic style, it has been the subject of renovations, even in recent times. One of these was quite important since it reduced the size of the church by bringing the facade more inward and thus leaving more space for the square in front.

The very simple facade painted white is decorated with two horizontal cornices and four semi-columns, of which the two at the ends reach the upper curved cornice. The portal is square and has a rectangular window above, while the square-shaped bell tower is divided in height into different sectors. Inside, the sanctuary has a single nave supported by arches and divided into four bays, with some side chapels.

Also on Via Nazionale and a short distance from the parish church in a northerly direction stands the church of Santa Croce. Its construction dates back to the 16th century, it is a fairly small building with a tall, narrow facade, decorated with exposed stone that frames both the two ends of the facade and the square door. In the upper part there is a rectangular window to allow light to enter, and a little higher up the gabled roof, surmounted by a small bell gable. Inside it has a single facade with a barrel vault, supported by arches, with two side chapels.

In a south-east direction with respect to the parish church, in the street of the same name, stands the Church of the Madonna del Rosario. Built in the 16th century in Catalan Gothic style, it has been renovated in more recent times. A small staircase leads to a very simple aesthetic facade, with a square door framed with decorations and a small niche above it with the statue of the Virgin inside. A rectangular window in the upper part allows light to enter, while the roof is gabled with a central bell gable. Inside there is a central nave with a barrel vault supported by arches and four side chapels, two on each side.

In Villanova Monteleone there are also some country churches, reduced to a state of ruin.

The most important one is located about 3 km from the town in a south-westerly direction, and is the church of the “Madonna Vergine d’Interrios”, in the homonymous locality, on a plateau immersed in nature and surrounded by trees. Its construction dates back to the beginning of the 13th century, the church is part of a larger complex of buildings with buildings that in the past hosted colonies for children and pilgrims who stayed for several days during the visit to the sanctuary. To the side of the church there is in fact a portico with the small bell gable above. The structure of the sanctuary is quite imposing starting from the facade framed by two columns at the two ends that rise for the entire height up to the gabled roof. The square door is also framed by decorative elements, above which there is a small rectangular window. Inside there is a single central nave with a barrel vault and supported by arches that divide it into five bays and three chapels on each side.

Not far from this sanctuary there are the remains of rural places of worship now reduced to a state of ruins, the churches of San Pietro, Sant’Elia, San Nicola, San Quirico and Sant’Eustacchio. Near Lake Temo you can instead appreciate the remains of the church of the Madonna di Curos, of the original church that is thought to have been built after the 12th century only a side wall remains in which you can appreciate four arches and the base from which what must have been the barrel vault developed, and the semi-circular plan of the apse with two semi-circular altars.

The size of the territory of Villanova Monteleone has meant that archaeological finds have been numerous and testify to the presence of human settlements over 5500 years ago. The domus de Janas are the oldest sites, there are dozens of them in the area, but there are mainly two that have attracted the attention of scholars for their state of conservation and their architecture.

About 6 km away from the town in a south-east direction, not far from Lake Temo, there are the necropolises of “Puttu Codinu”, a complex of domus de Janas dating back to the Late Neolithic, around 3500 BC, consisting of nine necropolises of which the most characteristic are number 8 and number 9. The importance of these necropolises is given by the fact that they all develop in multi-cellular environments, which are decorated with well-preserved sculptures that represent for example the roof, bull elements, shelves, jambs, the false doors characteristic of the burial rituals of that time, with an important discovery of the Mother Goddess, now kept at the Sanna Museum in Sassari.

The other noteworthy necropolises of this territory are those of “Pubusattile”, which are located about 8 km from the town in a north-east direction. This complex is made up of seven hypogea and, as with the previous ones, their importance lies in the decorative elements, in this case the red paint has been preserved to a greater extent, but there are also sculpted elements that refer to taurine elements, the false door, and various ornaments that had the purpose of accompanying the deceased in the afterlife.

From the Nuragic period there are dozens of archaeological emergencies that have reached the present day. As for the nuraghi, the most representative is perhaps the complex of “Nuraghe Appiu”, which is located about 10 km from the town centre in a south-westerly direction. A site still only partially excavated but which shows a quadrilobate structure, with the four towers at the corners joined by linear perimeter walls that delimit the area and the internal courtyard and with a central tower that stands out above all. One of the towers is developed on two floors, but hypothetically all the others also had to follow the same structure. Around the nuraghe, some excavations have brought to light circular and quadrangular structures that constitute the huts of a village adjacent to the complex, but it is estimated that structures still covered by earth remain to be discovered.

The tombs of the giants are also present in considerable numbers in the territory of Villanova Monteleone. One of these, perhaps the best known, is that of “Laccaneddu”, about 10 km from the town in a north-westerly direction. Overall, the structure is well preserved, with the funerary room about 7 meters long and almost 3 meters wide, which ends in a semi-circular apse. The roof is not present but you can still notice the majesty of this and other buildings present in this territory for millennia, which show the rituals and beliefs, almost magical, of the inhabitants of the past.