An old path between the silence of nature and the rediscovery of peace, for slow tourism immersed in the ecosystem of the places. The first part of the itinerary, tested on November 16th and which will be officially inaugurated in December, is called “The Way of the Patrons, Spirituality, Art and Nature”.

It is none other than one of the two paths traveled in ancient times on the occasion of the pilgrimage of Holy Monday, that is, the day after Palm Sunday. The delegate of the Curia, Don Francesco Mocci, parish priest of Valledoria and the councilor for archaeological heritage of the Municipality of Castelsardo, Christian Speziga, participated in the exploration. The route, promoted by the Diocese of Tempio-Ampurias and the Region of Sardinia is curated by the archaeologist Simone Falqui, with the collaboration, for this first stretch, of the Municipalities of Castelsardo, Tergu and Agenzia Forestas.

"A way to rediscover the territory step by step, but also pedal stroke after pedal stroke - commented the mayor of Castelsardo, Maria Lucia Tirotto - directing the visitor who loves slow tourism, from the sea towards the hinterland and vice versa, to places steeped in history and witnesses of a deep-rooted identity, where you can experience authentic emotions, in an attempt to recover the quality of life, now lost in the big cities".

The aim is to recover the tradition of the ancient route, also useful to reinvigorate and consolidate in the communities of Castelsardo and Tergu the tradition of the rituals of Holy Week that begins, precisely, with the suggestive event of the "Lunissanti". The pilgrimage will thus be able to rediscover the fullness of its centuries-old charm. "The Way of the Patrons" will be included in the future RES (Sardinia Hiking Network) being developed by the agronomist Pier Luigi Piras and Alessandro Depperu, respectively official and director of the Territorial Service of Sassari of the Forestas Agency.

The first stretch of the route, approximately 12 kilometers long, will start from the cathedral of S. Antonio Abate in Castelsardo, passing through the rural road of Lu Padru, up to the church of Nostra Signora di Tergu, which is currently undergoing routine maintenance by the staff of the same Forestas Agency. "The search for spirituality will pass through our architectural and natural beauties: the Cathedral of S. Antonio Abate, the alleys of the historic center of Castellana, the rural streets scented by the essences of the Mediterranean scrub, the stops along the way to admire the archaeological evidence of the Nuarghi of Monte Liggiu, the ancient Cisternone, probably from the Roman imperial period of Badde Cisterna, to arrive at the first destination: the Romanesque church of Nostra Signora di Tergu, annexed to the Benedictine monastery, seat of the Cassinese priory, which appears in the sources of 1122 as a possession of the Cassinese monks with the title of Sancta Maria de Therco", added the Councilor for the Environment and Archaeological Heritage Christian Speziga.

"We are honored that the Cathedral of Sant'Antonio Abate is the starting point of this enchanting route that will cross fields, coasts and villages, to reach its final destination: the Basilica of San Simplicio in Olbia - says the Councilor for Cultural Heritage Maria Speranza Frassetto -. I believe that even those who do not undertake the journey out of devotion could, along the way, see their initial disposition changed or, at least, enriched. The artistic and natural beauty of the journey, in fact, could create in the pilgrim, believer or atheist, the conditions to reconnect with themselves and with the world. Furthermore, the route, once completed, could become an important opportunity for tourism development for the territories involved and I am convinced that it will inevitably lead to the rediscovery and valorization of new pieces of our environmental, cultural and spiritual heritage".

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