INSPIRATION

I travel downhill towards the plain on a beautiful day. I arrive at the Archaeological and Paleobotanical Museum of Perfugas where Maria, who contacted me on Facebook to offer me hospitality, and the girls of the Sa Rundine cooperative that manages the museum are waiting for me. Here the school children will come soon, both for a visit and to listen to my story.

But first we take the opportunity to visit an important archaeological site inside the village, the sacred well Predio Canopoli, so called because it was found at the home of Mr. Canopoli while he was carrying out some works in his courtyard. The well is beautiful, in very white limestone, and the stairway that goes down to the water is very well preserved, with the walls made of perfect blocks. I am not surprised that weddings are also celebrated here, despite being surrounded by houses, the place is magical.

We go back to the Museum, where the girls of the cooperative guide me through the archaeological and paleontological treasures kept here. With great pleasure I find a rich collection of fossils, including the remains of fossil trunks (abundant throughout the area) found next to the Rio Altana, the largest pieces are now in the museum courtyard. And some very important archaeological remains, including the beautiful statue of the mother goddess with a child, more than 6000 years old, found nearby, and a copy of a famous bronze bull-shaped statue, now kept in the museum of Sassari. We hear some noise. The school children are here, they visit the museum and then gather in the courtyard, where I perform some music with the ukulele, interspersed with stories of my journey.

In the afternoon we visit the parish church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, built with different types of rocks, red trachyte, white limestone, and some dark basalt. Inside there is a very important artwork. When I enter the room to the side of the church I am amazed: a huge wooden altarpiece, moved here from the rural church of San Giorgio, painted by the anonymous “master of Perfugas”. We remain in contemplation for a while while the guide explains the story by describing the various parts of the work.

We walk a little along the streets of the town, and we go to the headquarter of the Coro Pefugas “Matteo Peru”. Here I receive a beautiful welcome, I tell my journey, I play the ukulele, and I am reciprocated by religious and profane choral songs, and honored by a poetry reading by Giovanni Soro, who reads his own poems and gives me a copy of his book. We continue the evening with a visit to the beautiful country church of San Giorgio, all in red stone, with a very well preserved nuraghe nearby. The light is going down and the view of the village and the countryside is beautiful.

We conclude the evening at the Beer Boom Baam event, the beer festival, next to the beautiful church of Santa Maria della Concezione, particular for the presence of a beautiful stone arch just in front of the facade, and in the evening well lit. We have dinner with sausage and onion sandwiches, delicious craft beers, and live music from the local group. They take me back to the Putzu Canu farm, in the middle of the mountains between Perfugas and Erula, where I will be tomorrow.

SOUND FRAGMENTS

SHORT SARDINIAN STORIES

Upon awakening, before leaving, I climb over the remains of the nuraghe right behind the agriturismo, and I observe the majestic panorama below me, Perfugas in the valley, the mountains of Anglona, ​​those of Gallura, the Limbara, I see the castle of Doria towards the coast, and I feel part of this immensity, knowing that I have crossed all these territories with the strength of my legs and a great strength of will.