The ideal starting point for the discovery of Luogosanto is the Piazza della Basilica, the historical and geographical hub of the town and the territory. From here, you can take four walks along the streets of the small historic center and beyond.
1) District of Nostra Signora di Locusantu - The first walk is also the shortest, as it develops inside the small historical center that includes the church of Our Lady of Locusantu and its immediate surroundings. The church, dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a minor basilica built in the thirteenth century by the first Franciscan friars who arrived in Sardinia and then repeatedly renovated and enlarged. The simple late-Romanesque forms, and the austerity of the exposed granite slabs, are balanced by the richly decorated interior with three naves. The heart of the sanctuary is the altar that houses the wooden statue of the Madonna di Luogosanto, an object of great popular devotion by devotees in Gallura, and therefore crowned as the “Queen of Gallura”. The legend concerning the discovery of the statue is engraved in a bronze bas-relief in the outer panel of the Holy Door, which opens every seven years.
The Piazza della Basilica overlooks the town hall: here the traveler can plan his visit by collecting maps and information at the Municipal Tourist Office. Otherwise, you can visit the adjacent Piazza Martino Cossu, where, in the shade of some oak trees, you can consult three-dimensional panels in painted terracotta, which represent and tell in short the main attractions of Luogosanto.
The bridge that runs along the bell tower of the basilica is an unmissable belvedere: from here the view is lost to the east on woods and rocky ridges, including that of Punta di l’Omu, recognizable by its characteristic anthropomorphic shape.
At the beginning of Via Regina Elena there is the play-artistic installation “Luogosanto a town of flowers”: a wall adorned with ceramic flowers freely decorated by the children of the town (the names of the little artists are engraved inside the corolla of each flower).
A little further on, you will reach the panoramic Piazza Incoronazione, known locally as Lu Rotareddu, meaning "the small farmyard for threshing". The beautiful paving of terracotta bricks and slightly sloping granite slabs, lends itself well to hosting summer events, including the Festa Manna di Gaddura, one of the most important religious festivals in Sardinia, which, held every 8th September since about eight hundred years ago, animates Luogosanto’s life with rituals and festivities, which last until September 15th.
Anyone who wishes to deepen the profoundly religious dimension of Luogosanto must not miss the beautiful Nativity Museum of the Blessed Virgin Mary, housed in the former Franciscan convent dating from the thirteenth century, where you can admire the treasure of precious jewels donated by devotees to the Madonna di Luogosanto, several 18th century marble sculptures, the ancient cells of the friars, a hologram of the Holy Grail, various models of the Palazzu di Baldu, traditional costumes, and other religious and ethnographic artefacts.
For those who wish to turn this pleasant walk into a short but challenging hike, or even trek, it’s possible to reach the archaeological, naturalistic and sporting park of Monti Gjuanni, Monti Casteddu and Monti Ruju. To access the park, from Piazza della Basilica you must descend for thirty meters Via Vittorio Emanuele II, take Via Pitticcu, cross Via Gallura to enter the short ramp of Via Monti Gjuanni that lead to the fountain of Maria Rosa.
2) District of Santu Chilgu – As you take Via Vittorio Emanuele II, you reach several shops and the paved Via Garibaldi, which leads to San Quirico, a church of medieval origin with a sober and harmonious architecture, dressing up the first Saturday of August, the day in which a very popular traditional festival takes place. Along the nearby Via Tempio, you reach a narrow pedestrian alley that goes down through the courtyards to the lower section of Via Vittorio Emanuele II. From here, you can go back to the basilica or go down again toward the long panoramic terrace embellished with “natural statues” of eroded granite, in shapes reminiscent of plants and animals. The final stretch of the road reaches the exit of the town. Here, you can make a stop at the belvedere de La Petra Niedda, to see the mountains of Corsica or stretch up to the short hiking path of the medieval road.
3) District of La Funtanedda - Another recommended walk is along Via San Trano, which extends from the bell tower to the east. After a few tens of meters, you arrive at the fountain called Lu Pisciaroni, framed by an exedra of yellow and gray granite with a flower bed of dwarf palms and oleanders. The road descends toward the district of La Funtanedda, which takes its name from one of the oldest fountains in the village, accessible by a marked trail. The fountain also gives its name to the small park that stretches between Via Cristoforo Colombo and a stream shaded by young oaks, ash trees, and cork oaks. Continuing on Via San Trano to reach the exit of the town you may take the climb that leads to the hermitage.
4) District of Santu Pàulu – Continuing along Via Regina Elena, and past Piazza Incoronazione, you will find the ancient granite fountain called La Funtana Noa. Continuing the long climb, you’ll arrive at the modern district of San Paolo, which the elders still call L’uspidali or Lu ’spedalettu, for during World War II it was the site of a military camp, and whose hospital structure (now used as an ethnographic museum) has been preserved, and at the chapel dedicated to Saint Paul the Hermit. The road continues in the beautiful countryside of Vidiera, reaching after 3 km La Filetta Park.
© Sèmiti di Paràuli / Comune di Luogosanto
