Planargia and Montiferru · Provincia di Nuoro

Things to do in Bolotana

Things to do in Bolotana, Sardinia's carpet village: old town, San Bachisio church, Badde Salighes forest and Villa Piercy, nuraghi, festivals.

Bolotana, Sardegna — © Gianni Careddu · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Bolotana is the «village of carpets» of the Marghine, in the province of Nuoro: about 2,300 people and a vast territory that drops from the mountains of Punta Palai, at around 1,200 metres, to the middle Tirso valley. It has a medieval old town of narrow, winding lanes, one of central Sardinia's best-loved country churches and, higher up, the Badde Salighes forest with its 19th-century villa. A member of the Borghi autentici d'Italia network, it's ideal if you love crafts, nature and religious traditions.

What to see in Bolotana

Old town

Already recorded in 1341 as Golòthana, the old centre is a tangle of narrow, winding streets best explored on foot, among stone houses and the churches of San Pietro, San Giovanni, San Basilio and San Francesco.

Church of San Bachisio

A country sanctuary that draws thousands of pilgrims twice a year, in early May and early October: one of the most heartfelt places of devotion in the Marghine.

Badde Salighes and Villa Piercy

The Badde Salighes forest spreads across the Marghine uplands. Here stands Villa Piercy, a late-19th-century Liberty-style residence built for engineer Benjamin Piercy, designer of Sardinia's railways, surrounded by a garden of exotic plants he brought back from his travels.

Tittiriola nuraghe and archaeological sites

The territory has around 40 proto-nuraghi and nuraghi, some at about 1,000 metres. The Tittiriola nuraghe, a single basalt tower about 10 metres high, keeps its central chamber intact with three niches. There are also the rock-cut tombs of sas Perdas de Zancànu, dolmens and ritual circles at Ortachis, and Punic remains at the Forte di Pabude.

Things to do in Bolotana

Visit a weaving workshop to see how carpets take shape on the horizontal loom. Then head up to Badde Salighes and Ortachis for hiking, mountain biking or horse riding in the woods, among springs that feed the Tirso, Temo and Coghinas rivers. Spring and autumn are the best seasons for walks among upland nuraghi and forests. Below you'll find experiences offered by local operators: choose and book.

History

Inhabited since prehistory, as rock-cut tombs, dolmens and nuraghi show, the area also has Punic remains, Roman villas and Byzantine traces. Bolotana belonged to the Giudicato (medieval Sardinian kingdom) of Torres, then to Arborea; in 1478 it was taken by the Aragonese and became part of the Marquisate of Marghine. It passed to the Savoy in 1720 and was freed in 1839, becoming an independent municipality. It was once known as the granary of the province of Nuoro.

Food and what to buy

The souvenir par excellence is a hand-woven carpet, usually in yellow, black and red with geometric designs. At the table: olive oil, mirto (myrtle liqueur), homemade breads and sweets.

Festivals and traditions

Sant'Antonio Abate: 16–17 January, with bonfires.
Holy Week: Way of the Cross, Palm Sunday, s'Iscravamentu (the Deposition) and s'Incontru (the meeting of the risen Christ and the Virgin).
San Bachisio: early May and early October.
San Giovanni and San Pietro: late June.
Assumption: 15 August at Ortachis.
San Basilio: late August.

Nearby

Bortigali, with the Orolo nuraghe and the Santa Maria 'e Sauccu sanctuary, which lies in Bolotana's territory.
Silanus, with Santa Sabina.
Lei, with the Zuncos woods.
Macomer, the main town of the Marghine.

Getting there and when to go

Bolotana lies between Macomer and Nuoro; from the SS131 exit at Macomer or take the SS131 DCN towards Nuoro. Olbia and Alghero-Fertilia airports are about an hour and a half away, Cagliari-Elmas about two hours. May and October combine ideal weather with the San Bachisio feasts; in summer the Badde Salighes woods offer cool shade.