INSPIRATION

Today I leave early. The sky is finally clear, the temperature has dropped and there is a sparkling air. The route is easy and with little traffic, I cycle on an internal road, in the middle of the fields, and before arriving at Pabillonis I see a series of imposing wind turbines.

I cross a bridge over the Riu Bellu and get into town, I take my usual photos, to the sign, the selfie, and the photo at the Town Hall, and then I head to the Surbiu farm where Matteo awaits me. The place is very beautiful, just outside the village, in the fields with a beautiful 360 degree view. We are in the middle of Campidano, not far from the castle of Monreale on one side and with the view of Mount Arcuentu on the other.

As soon as I settle, Matteo takes me for a tour of the village. We see the square with the ancient church of San Giovanni Battista, then we walk the streets with beautiful buildings in ladiri bricks, even a tall building with three floors! The headquarters of the proloco is a beautiful Campidanese house with a courtyard containing many artefacts and ceramics, and an exhibition of historical photos.

In the afternoon the councilor for culture Marco takes me for an archaeological tour of the countryside around Pabillonis. First the site of Nuraxi Fenu, next to the railway line, what remains of a pentalobed nuraghe. The dimensions are remarkable. Then we move to the church of San Lussorio, on a hill, at the base of which there are huge basalt rocks, clear sign of the existence of a nuragic site all around. Not far there are the remains of another little church, where once stood the original village then looted by the Moors and abandoned. The sunset behind the Arcuentu is breathtaking.

Pabillonis is the village of ceramics. We see the monument to the pots, ‘is pingiadasa’, dedicated to the art that made the tovillage famous, the manufacture of clay pots, and then we go to the home of the talented ceramist Ugo Serpi, author of the series Sa Tzia, pottery of Sardinian women in costume with a contemporary style.

For dinner we move to Arbus. So I see the 6 kilometers of hard climb that are waiting for me immediately after Christmas!

SOUND FRAGMENTS

Inspired by a birdsong.

SARDINIAN SHORT STORIES

I’m pedaling along the road that leads to Pabillonis, when the GoPro camera that I have mounted on the helmet switches off, probably the battery is exhausted. The sound that comes out are seven ‘beeps’ in succession quite fast beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep. I’m passing by some trees. Not even a second after the sound of GoPro a bird sings exactly the same rhythm with the same note! A perfect imitation … that has become the musical fragment of today.

When it comes to archeology in Sardinia, we could also talk about sagas, rather than short stories. I am visiting many archaeological sites, in all the areas I have covered, some well-kept, equipped, others left to the work of nature, others to be discovered. Like the one around the church of San Lussorio. I am amazed by the amount of sites I have visited, which remain unexplored for various reasons, but mainly problems of money, authorizations, bureaucracy. Sites where a violent rain can bring out remains of human artifacts, pottery shards, even bones … seen with my eyes! I wonder why there’s no resources towards something that would bring visibility, wealth and touristic movement in the territory. Each has their own answers, the Municipality, the Region, the State. Something is done, every so often, as they can, and with very long times. And the saga continues …