A nocturnal theft that smacks of an outrage against memory and culture. "On the night between Thursday, September 11th and Friday, September 12th, unknown individuals stole the ancient boundary stones—perhaps menhirs or slabs—that for centuries marked the boundaries of a private property next to the Calasetta cemetery."
Fulvia Rescazzi, the owner of the land, reported the incident after discovering what had happened on Friday afternoon.
According to reports, the thieves entered the property via Via Cala Lunga, crossing several private lands without any qualms.
Ironically, it was the noise that gave them away: a large tractor, used to uproot the heavy stones, left visible marks on the ground, along with the deep holes where the monoliths once stood. "The wire mesh that once connected the stone markers has been torn down. Now, the border no longer exists."
Alerted by the owner, the Carabinieri intervened and "confirmed the theft and began an investigation," the woman explains. "Furthermore, it emerged that the remaining stones had also been partially excavated, a clear sign that the criminals might return to complete the looting."
The stolen stones weren't simply agricultural boundaries: as Rescazzi herself explained, they are elements with strong symbolic, archaeological, and cultural value. "In Sardinia, these stones were often considered sacred. Some, like the menhirs, date back to prehistoric times. Others, like the laste, were large slabs that sealed territorial agreements between families or communities."
Moving them is therefore not just an offence : "In Sardinian tradition, it was taboo. The elders said that such gestures could attract curses, because the boundary stones were not just material, but memory and respect," adds the woman, who now calls for justice and vigilance, so that these symbols of collective memory are not lost forever.
(Unioneonline/Fr.Me.)
