Usini

Overview and Geography

Usini (Ùsini in Sardinian) is an agropastoral municipality located in the Sassarese region (Logudoro Turritano) in northwestern Sardinia, approximately 10 kilometers south of Sassari. Situated at an elevation of 200 meters above sea level, its territory features an irregular landscape with altitudes ranging from 36 to 287 meters. The surrounding terrain is characterized by rolling hills covered with vineyards, olive groves, and artichoke fields.

Usini is a member of both the Associazione Nazionale Città dell’Olio and the Associazione Nazionale Città del Vino. Etymologically, the name Usini (recorded historically as Usune or Usin) is of Paleo-Sardinian or Etruscan origin, with some scholars tracing it to a Phoenician root (Uz) meaning “rich fortress”.

Economy and Local Culture

• Agriculture & Winemaking: Specialized agriculture is the cornerstone of the local economy. Usini is particularly famous for its production of native wine varieties, including Cagnulari, Vermentino Usinese, Cannonau, and Moscato di Usini. Local wineries such as Azienda Vitivinicola Chessa and Vinicola Cherchi have earned national accolades, including inclusion in Vinitaly’s 5StarWines guide.

• Gastronomy: Usini is celebrated for Sos Andarinos, a unique handmade pasta variety traditional to the town.

• Festivals and Traditions: Key annual events include:

  • Festa di San Giorgio di Oleastreto (May 1): Celebrated at the rural church of San Giorgio with a procession, choir performances, and a community feast.

  • Sagra de Sos Andarinos (Late July): Dedicated to the local handmade pasta.

  • Festival Internazionale del Folklore “A Manu Tenta” (August): An international folk dance and music festival.

  • Feast of Santa Maria Bambina (September 8): The primary religious patronal festival.

  • Ajò a Ippuntare (December): A roving wine-tasting festival celebrating the tapping of new local wines (vini novelli).

• Cultural Groups: Local cultural preservation is maintained by groups such as the Gruppo Folk San Giorgio, Gruppo Folk Maria Bambina, Coro di Usini, and Coro Logudoro.

History and Notable Figures

History

Human presence dates back to the Late Neolithic period under the Ozieri culture, followed by Punic and Roman settlements. In the Middle Ages, Usini belonged to the Giudicato of Torres within the Curatoria of Romangia. After the death of Adelasia of Torres in 1259, it came under the rule of the Doria family before falling to Aragonese control in the 15th century.

In 1421, King Alfonso V of Aragon granted Usini as a fief to Galcerando Centelles within the Barony of Osilo. The territory was acquired by the Manca family in 1544 and elevated to the County of San Giorgio in 1643. During the late 18th century, Usini’s peasantry actively participated in anti-feudal revolts against the Duke of Asinara (Don Antonio Manca Amat), attacking the feudal agent’s grain storehouse (Magazzino del Fattore). Feudalism was formally abolished in 1839.

Notable Native Figures

Usini is known as the birthplace of several prominent 19th-century Sardinian outlaws (banditi), including:

• Luigi Delogu (b. 1858): A notorious outlaw who surrendered in 1894 so his family could collect the bounty on his head.

• Francesco Derosas (Cicciu Rosa, 1861–1894): A legendary outlaw who went to the mug after being falsely convicted. Along with his companion Pietro Giovanni Angius (Pera Zuanne), he committed numerous homicides across the Logudoro region before being captured in 1894 following a shootout. In 1894, poet Sebastiano Satta and journalist Gastone Chiesi conducted a famous secret cave interview with the trio, later published as Tre banditi intervistati da due pubblicisti.

Architecture and Main Sights

Historic Center & Sacred Buildings

• Parish Church of the Natività di Santa Maria Vergine (Santa Maria Bambina): Opened for worship in 1825 on the site of the former medieval Church of San Pietro. Built in a Late Baroque style with a concave-convex facade, it features a bell tower completed in 1900, an internal dome, and six side chapels.

• Church of Santa Croce (Madonna de S’Ena Frisca): Originally built in the 12th century by Cistercian monks from Paulis Abbey, with subsequent 14th-century expansions. It served as the parish church for centuries and houses a Baroque wooden high altar.

• Magazzino del Fattore (Su Magasinu ‘e Su Fattore) / Monte Granatico: Located on Piazza della Conciliazione, this historic feudal storehouse was targeted during anti-feudal revolts and later converted into a Monte Granatico (grain bank) under King Charles Emmanuel III.

• Casa del Pievano (Sa Domu ‘e Su Frebanu): A 17th-century parish house bearing the coat of arms of the Manca family.

• Casa Derosas & Centro Documentale: An late 19th-century manor house built by Bosa craftsmen featuring interior frescoes and a rock-cut wine cellar. Now owned by the municipality, it houses an ethnographic documentation center.

• Corte di Casa Diaz: A large 1874 agricultural estate featuring stables, a grain repository, an olive oil mill, and wine vaults. It is being developed into a center dedicated to Cagnulari wine (Corte e cantina del Cagnulari).

• Town Hall (Municipio): Located on Via Risorgimento in an early 20th-century classical building that formerly housed primary schools and the civic market. It contains a 1921 WWI commemorative marble plaque sculpted by S. Saba.

• Su Trogliu Ezzu (Old Washhouse): Located in Parco Comunale Su Trogliu, this public washhouse was designed in 1912 by engineer Silvio Gandino and built with local trachyte blocks.

• Baronial Gaols (Carceri Baronali): Ruins of former feudal prison cells carved into rock along Via Alessandro Volta.

• Public Murals: The town features extensive public murals created by artist Pina Monne, depicting traditional trades, winemaking (La Cantina, La Pigiatura dell’uva), and local culinary traditions (Sos Andarinos).

Archaeological Sites and Surrounding Area

Prehistoric Hypogea and Necropolises

• Necropoli di S’elighe Entosu: A major prehistoric cemetery comprising seven Late Neolithic domus de janas carved into large detached limestone boulders.

  • Tomba III (“Seven-Room Tomb”): Accessed via a long entrance corridor (dromos) leading to a central chamber with seven surrounding burial cells. Features carved domestic architectural motifs, including a stone hearth and roof-support columns.

  • Tomba IV & Tomba V: Feature carved relief depictions of gabled wooden roofs, rafters, door frames, and steps.

• Necropoli di Molineddu: A site consisting of five Copper Age rock-cut tombs situated near the Rio Mannu, four of which feature architectural facades (prospetto architettonico).

• Necropoli di S’Iscia ‘e Sas Piras (Mereu): A Nuragic burial site comprising three architectural-facade tombs along the historic S’Istrada de Sos Padres route. Excavations in Tomba I revealed burials spanning from the Early Bronze Age (Bonnanaro culture) to the Late Bronze Age, yielding personal ornaments and a necklace of 1,909 shell beads now kept at the Sanna Museum in Sassari.

• Necropoli di Su Pianu ‘e Sas Piras: A group of four domus de janas; Tomba IV yielded Bell Beaker (Vaso Campaniforme) ceramic artifacts.

• Chercos Ipogeo: A rock-cut tomb with an architectural facade carved into a limestone cliff at an elevation of 88 meters. The interior contains an inverted boat-hull ceiling, a rear niche, and schematic rock engravings.

Historic & Rural Sites

• Church of San Giorgio di Oleastreto: A 12th-century Romanesque rural church built under Giudice Costantino II of Torres using light limestone blocks. In the 13th century, it was used as a leper asylum managed by Pisans. Restored in 1998, it hosts the annual May 1 festival.

• San Giorgio Railway Stations: Located in the countryside northwest of town along the Sassari-Alghero line, featuring the original 1889 narrow-gauge station building alongside a newer replacement station constructed in the 1990s.