Environment and History

FERTILE LAND FROM ANCIENT VOLCANOES

Oristano is situated in the centre of the Campidano Ori-stanese vast plain, in the centre of Sardinia along the Western coast. For a territory that’s not very large it offers a great variety of landscapes, from sandy beaches to basalt high plains to the steep precipices of Montiferru. The survival of man has been guaranteed through the centuries by the sheltered beaches with inlets protected from the wind, safe and fish abundant ports, grasscovered areas to graze animals and level terrain suitable for agriculture, mountains with woods rich in timber and inaccessible points of defence. The presence of game and ponds has also aided the development of human settlements inland also.
The sandy desert of Sinis, the plain of Campidano, the vast, fish abundant ponds, the Monti Arci, the Tirso and Temo valleys, Grighini and Montiferru have all imprinted their mark on the environment, influencing the life of the inhabitants.
Geologically the territory is the result of considerable volcanic activity, the surrounding mountains were highly active volcanoes whose lava flowed down to the sea and now remains as impressive cliffs on the Northern coast. Following this, there was a slow process of erosion caused by rain and rivers, which filled the Campidanese trench creating the present plain. The volcanic origin of the territory is easily recognisable by the presence of lava rock and thermal phenomenon present in many places, for example the springs at Fordongianus. The soil is sandy and light, making it suitable for all kinds of cultivation. Other than these considerable natural attractions Oristano and its province also contain remarkable centres of historical interest, preserving valuable evidence of the past.

BUILDING THE NEW ORISTANO WITH THE STONES OF THARROS
The most ancient traces of the presence of man inthe territory of Oristano date back to the 6th millenniumb.C. when the first communities settled inthis area, in the sepulchral areas of Conca ‘e Illonis andCùccuru is Arrìus near Cabras. Belonging to the recentNeolithic age are the Dolmen (a type of Megalithic burialconstructed from three or more large stones placedvertically in the ground, supporting a horizontallyplaced mass) and the “Domus de Janas” (undergroundtombs dug into the rock and used collectively). Animportant example of the first is the Is Cirquittus complex,near Laconi, that can be attributed to Ozieri (3200- 2800 b.C.), Filigosa and Abealzu cultures (2800-2400b.C.). Examples of domus de janas include that ofChirisconi’s close to Suni and “Genn ‘e Xabisi” at VillaSant’Antonio, considered among the most interesting inSardinia.After this stage, around the 15th century b.C., theNuraghi civilisation began to spread. Nuraghi were truncatedcone structures intended to defend the villages.On the Cape San Marco headland you can find theNuraghi Baboe Cabitza and close by another, facing thesea. While the greatest examples are those situatedinland (Losa of Abbasanta, Iloi of Sedilo, Domu Becciaof Uras, etc.). 

Also dating from this period are architecturalstructures such as the Tombs of the Giants and theWell Temples, the most attractive of which (at Paulilatino)was called “Magistra Barbaritas” by the scholar Lilliu.In the 9th century b.C. the first Phoenician merchants,always searching for convenient landing places and newpopulations with which to trade, first disembarked.Where they landed was the ancestor of Oristano: Tharros,the Phoenician town on the coast of Sinis, animportant centre of commercial trade, inhabited by fishermenand farmers. Tharros was later abandoned presumablyin order to escape the increasingly frequentraids of the Moors.In the 9th century Tharros was already an important centrewhere culture and people intersected. Later, in fact,the Phoenician port and town fortress, populated andrich, continued to be of importance to the Carthaginiansand the Romans, who took it over after the Punic Wars.The Roman conquest was opposed for a long time by theinhabitants of the territory, but finally the rebels weredefeated at Cornus, North of Tharros, where the anti-Roman resistance was mainly concentrated.
Along the main road 292, about a kilometre South ofSanta Caterina of Pittinuri, you can find a Paleo-Christiancomplex in which the remainders of a sepulchralbasilica from the 4th-5th centuries are to be found, thereis a baptistery attached with a second basilica.

A numberof thermal buildings of particular interest, datingback to the period of Roman domination, have recentlybeen brought to life. Furthermore, a very interestingthermal-complex (Aquae Ypsitanae) was discovered atForum Traiani (the current Fordongianus).Tharros continued playing a leading role over its neighbouringtowns until the year 1000, when continuousraids by the Saracen forced the inhabitants to moveinland. This movement is remembered in the localexpression “Portant de Tharros sa perda a carros” meaning“They’re bringing cartloads of stones from Tharros”,referring to the construction of a new centre with theaid of building material from the former settlement.

The new town was called Maristanis or Aristanis, meaning“between the ponds”. In 534 AD the Byzantinesoccupied Sardinia turning the island into one of theirprovinces and a governor (judex provinciae) was seatedat Cagliari.In 636 AD the geographer Giorgio Ciprio mentioned“Aristanes limne” in his “Descriptio Orbis Romani”,describing it as “Portu” or “Lacus”, in fact the boundarywalls were called “Portu” for centuries.

In Medieval times five suburbs existed outside the“Portu”: “Sa Maddalena” (The Maddalena), “Su Brugu”(Ninth), “Pontixeddu” (Little bridge), “Santu Lazzaru”(Saint Lazzaru) and “Is Crogioaxus” (Potters).Between the 13th and 15th centuries, when the powerand influence of the Byzantine empire had weakened,four important Giudicati (Judicatures) formed in Sardinia:Calari, Torres, Gallura and Arborea.Oristano became the capital of the Giudicato of Arborea,and due to its flourishing economy aimed for supremacyover the other Giudicati. For at least three centuriesnumerous important events took place in Oristano, oftenelaborated upon by legend and tradition.
A period of foremost grandeur was reached during thereigns of Mariano IV and Eleonora d’Arborea, when theentire island of Sardinia, with the sole exceptions ofCagliari and Alghero, was under the control of Oristano.From an artistic point of view there was a first periodcorresponding to the 12th century during which largeRomanesque buildings were constructed (such as theCathedral of Saint Giusta) followed by a Gothic periodduring which the town walls and towers of Oristanowere built. Between 11th and 12th centuries, out of thetown two important defensive complex were built;Malaspina Castle is situated on the top of the hill thatdominates Bosa, the other, Aymerich Castle is placed ina strategic position and it is still visible in the interiorof the beautiful Aymerich Park, near Laconi.

The history of the town is also tied to the historicevents that developed outside the island, such as theendeavour of the Maritime Republics of Pisa and Genoato dominate the Mediterranean Sea and consequentlythe Sardinian island.In 1164 in Pavia, the Emperor Federico Barbarossaappointed the judge Barisone as the King of Sardinia.However, the plan to unite the island under the rule ofthe Giudicato of Arborea was destined to remain simplya dream. In 1187 Guglielmo of Massa invaded Oristano,first looting the city and then imposing his election tothe seat of judge.A report issued in 1378 by the ambassadors of the Dukeof Angiò described Oristano as a town with importantpublic buildings, churches and religious congregations,town walls, towers and town-gates.Oristano was an important town, as evidenced by thesigning of a peace treaty between Giovanni d’Aragonaand Eleonora d’Arborea in 1388. In 1409 Guglielmo IIwas defeated at Sanluri by the army of the Kingdom ofSardinia and a last attempt to maintain independencewas suppressed at Macomer in 1478. Immediately theKingdom of Sardinia, and therefore Oristano, passedunder the domination of the Spanish.

THE DOWNFALL THE DISCOVERY OF ART BEGAN WITH THE SPANIARDS

With the surrender of Macomer in 1478 the dream ofindependence ended and a period of undisputed Spanishdominion began. The Spanish conquerors, plagueepidemics and pirate raids took the island to anirreparable and sad decline.Not even with the advent of the House of Savoy whocame in 1718 following the Treaty of London, did thesituation improve.

The town remained Medieval fromevery point of view.Oristano lost its administrative functions and wasabandoned to its fate. Many years were to pass beforethe Administration of the House of Savoy noticedOristano’s grave problems.The historic events of the town are recalled in the differentaspects of urbanisation: strongly Medieval duringthe period of the Judicatures; the houses werecompactly lined up within the town walls and connectedby winding tight streets and small squares.Modest low houses made of “ladiri” (bricks of mud andstraw, dried in the sun) with backyards and kitchengardens, stood next to the houses of the bourgeoisieand a few noble buildings.The administrative centre was located around thePorta Mare, while the commercial centre was situatedtowards the Porta Pontis or Porta Manna.The Medieval arrangement of the town was kept intactthrough the course of the centuries, until the unificationof Italy. From the second half of the 19th centuryradical changes were brought about, such as the eliminationof primitive alleys and the adaptation of thepresent Corso Umberto and Piazza Eleonora (today thecentre of the city) and the re-arrangement of furtherstreets and piazzas.

At the beginning of the last century expansion workcontinued, with the demolition of the Porta Maretower (in its time twin of the Saint Cristoforo of MarianoII tower) and of the adjacent walls. The destructionof the old centre continued, Piazza Corrias wasconstructed and the town continued to expand.Today, Oristano is charming and tranquil with a concentricform with direction towards the cardinalpoints. In the past buildings in Oristano were principallyground floor constructions with a backyard. Inrecent years multi-storey buildings have been constructedin neighbourhoods such as Città Giardino, SaRodia, Sacro Cuore, San Nicola, Torangius and Cuccuru‘e Portu.