BUDONI
THE MUNICIPALITY 07051 Budoni ( Sassari )
THE TERRITORY
Budoni is a small commune in Upper Baronia on the border with Gallura.
It rises on a plain created by the basin of the river of the same name, which, running alongside the town, flows into the Lido del Sole beach, also known as Starfish.
The territory is characterised by numerous hills that delimit the municipal area.
The beaches and hillsides during spring flowering offer an exciting spectacle in terms of their brilliant colours and the predominantly Mediterranean vegetation that characterises them.
Some of the hills, of granite and schist origin, with rocks eroded by atmospheric agents, present an evocative picture for the curious holidaymaker in search of the old paths and nature trails that the area offers.
A necklace of small coastal ponds, often flanked by thick pine forests, separates the sea from the hinterland. These are unused brackish basins due to their shallow depths, but their lack of outlets to the sea makes them worthy of aquatic fauna that includes, sporadically, pink flamingos. But it is the Mediterranean maquis that characterises the landscape with its presence, breaking up the bare rock with its colours.
The 18 km long coastline is characterised by long white sandy beaches alternating with small coves bordered by cliffs or vegetation. The crystal-clear sea has pristine seabeds where posidonia predominates.
TRADITIONS
Budoni, a border town, was influenced by the shepherds-farmers from Baronia and those from the interior of Sardinia and, not least, also by the peddlers and people from nearby Gallura.
Each month is characterised by a particular feast and the related traditional sweets or breads that are offered by the faithful to the community.
Among the most popular dishes are the Gallura soupgnocchetti, tagliatelle, and lamb and suckling pig main courses.
Traditional sweets are papassini (typical in November and offered in memory of the dead), the eavesdroppers (egg pasta fried and then dipped in honey), the bianchinitypical Easter cheeses and many more.
Among the festivals, one of the most heartfelt by the population is that of Saint Anthony Abbot, which is celebrated on 16 January with the lighting of fires in every hamlet and is characterised by the distribution of typical blessed sweets.
In May, in the hamlet of San pietro, after the Holy Mass, there is the traditional typical lunch (sheep in coat, stew and cheese) offered to all participants of the priory thanks to donations from shepherds who give part of their livestock to the saint.
On the last Sunday in August, the feast of the patron saint, St John the Baptist, is celebrated. He is carried in procession along the main street of the village accompanied by a band or vocal choir and a costumed group, a detail that makes it very atmospheric.
THE PARISH
The parish church of Budoni is dedicated to St John the Baptist, whose feast day is celebrated on 29 August - the day of his martyrdom.
The present church was built in the 1960s, replacing the old church built in the late 1800s and considered unsafe.
The new church is shaped like a tent, in an attempt to recall the tents that the nomadic Jewish people used in their travels.
It has a single nave with an apse at the back, where the altar is located. The apse is adorned with 5 stained glass windows with Jesus Christ in the centre and the 4 Evangelists at the sides.
The walls are adorned with copper panels depicting the Stations of the Cross and paintings, mainly depicting the life of the Saint, by the artist Liliana Cano.
From the ceiling hangs a wooden crucifix, the work of artist Francesco Masuri of Dorgali.
The bronze door, the work of artist Totorino ( Salvatore ) Spanu, is divided into panels depicting the most salient scenes of the martyr's life.
The façade is decorated with a rose window depicting the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan.
FLORA AND FAUNA
The flora of Sardinia is typically Mediterranean, greatly influenced by the climate characterised by mild winters and dry summers.
The forest vegetation is mainly represented by holm oak trees. Bushy formations of arbutus, mastic tree, juniper, wild olive, cistus, myrtle, phillyrea, heather, broom, rosemary and viburnum are identified with the Mediterranean maquis. These formations, of great ecological interest, are the most representative of the Mediterranean area.
In degraded terrain, the scrub gives way to 'garrigue', consisting of species such as thyme, helichrysum and euphorbia.
Many of the plant species in the area were used for food, for medicinal purposes and for the dyeing of textile fibres used: wool, linen above all.
Sardinia's favourable environment has allowed the spread of numerous endemisms of extraordinary naturalistic value, which often display those characteristics typical of islands, such as the smaller size of specimens compared to related species found in larger geographical regions, or peculiar features due to long isolation.
Mammals are vertebrates characterised by the presence of mammary glands.
They have hair on most of their bodies and are able to self-regulate and maintain a constant body temperature. Through their hair and adipose layers, they prevent heat loss.
( freely taken from www.regionesardegna/enteforeste )
Text by Dr Francesca Ponsanu