There are just a few days left until the opening weekend of the 24th edition of Autunno in Barbagia which, as has been the case for years, will cut the inaugural ribbon in Bitti, on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September. In the alleys of the historic centre above Corso Vittorio Veneto there is a coming and going of people setting up spaces to welcome the numerous visitors expected on the first weekend of this month. Private operators and cultural, sports, hiking and volunteer associations are working hard to open the cortes and old houses of the town which with its territory delimits the northernmost extension of Barbagie, along the valleys of the Tepilora Regional Natural Park that overlook the centres of Monte Acuto and Alta Baronia.

What to do. The community of Bitti is ready to share, as it has been doing for decades with the many tourists who come all year round, its history and culture, its ancient world-famous tenore song, which can be heard in the churches and streets of the town, and the archaic traditions of one of the most renowned pastoral centers in Sardinia. It will do so with guided tours of the archaeological site of Romanzesu, preserved on a granite plateau in the shade of the largest cork oak forest on the island, an enchanted place just a few kilometers from the town that can be reached by shuttles. And then in the historic center, a short distance from the parish church of San Giorgio Martire, you can rediscover the rural life of shepherds and farmers and the singing tradition in an extraordinary multisensory immersion by visiting the Multimedia Museum of Pastoral and Rural Civilization, with the narrative accompaniment of the Bittese anthropologist Bachisio Bandinu, and that of Canto a Tenore where you can learn about the different local representations of the ancient song of central Sardinia . To the delight of children and adults, with a dive into the past of a few tens of millions of years, you can learn about the dinosaurs that populated the Earth. The BittiRex paleontological park, with the special BittInsecta pavilion, can be reached by shuttle just one kilometer from the town. Those who want to venture along the paths of the protected area of Tepilora can do so by crossing the gate of the Park in the direction of Mamone, while through a quad rental service, departing from Piazza Asproni, you can visit the countryside surrounding the town.

The two-day Autumn in Barbagia event will also be an opportunity to learn about the artisan production of ceramics and leather, wood, fabrics and minerals. The many events scheduled will reach their climax on Sunday morning with the revival of the ancient Bittese wedding (S'Isposu vitzichesu), where you can watch the dressing of the women's dress and the parade of girls and boys in traditional clothes, the one worn on the day of the celebration, which can also be admired in an exhibition set up with extraordinary local jewels. The group will then cross the streets that lead to Piazza Asproni where, accompanied by the canti a tenore, they will perform numerous dances. “Sa Caminera literària”, dedicated to the Bittese anthropologist Michelangelo Pira, will wind along the streets of the old town to discover hidden views and murals. An exhibition of religious songs and guided tours of the churches in the historic center will instead enliven the narration of the sacred. The past will then mix with the present in terms of local artistic production with some exhibitions, as well as with the music that will cheer up the participants' walks or the morra competition scheduled for Saturday evening. There will be no shortage of exhibitions dedicated to the botanical varieties present in the area, while the agri-food products of extraordinary excellence can be tasted in the refreshment or sales points: from meat to wine, from bread to artisanal beer, from fruit to sweet and savory seatas, from honey to aromatic herbs and essential oils, from cheeses to desserts, from fresh pasta to pane lentu, classic carasatu and guttiatu.

The mayor. «The community of Bitti will be ready, welcoming and festive towards the many visitors who will reach our town next weekend». Thus the mayor Giuseppe Ciccolini who added: «I thank the competent municipal administrators and the offices that, together with the operators and associations, contributed to the organization of the event».

(Online Union)

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