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Borutta

Borutta is a small mountain center located on the spur of a plateau on Monte Pelau, close to the Rio Frida valley and near the Basilica of San Pietro di Sorres.

The Historic Region of Meilogu (Logudoro Meilogu)

During the medieval period, the Logudoro was one of the four Giudicati of Sardinia, with capitals successively at Porto Torres, Ardara, and Sassari. The region is divided into three parts: Logudoro Turritano (the Sassarese) to the north, Logudoro Meilogu to the west, and Logudoro Montacuto to the east. The name Meilogu derives from Mediu logu, meaning “in the heart of the Giudicato”.

The municipalities belonging to Meilogu are Ardara, Banari, Bessude, Bonnanaro, Bonorva, Borutta, Cheremule, Cossoine, Giave, Ittireddu, Mara, Mores, Padria, Pozzomaggiore, Semestene, Siligo, Thiesi, and Torralba. The territory is predominantly flat, producing cereals and vegetables, and features thriving sheep farming with rich dairy production supported by numerous springs and watercourses.

The Municipality of Borutta

• Elevation & Population: Situated at an altitude of 491 meters above sea level, with a population of 260 inhabitants as of December 31, 2021.

• Geography: It features an irregular geometric profile with elevations ranging from 389 to 730 meters above sea level. The town is dominated to the north by Monte Pelau (730 m) and to the south by the hill housing the Basilica of San Pietro di Sorres. It lies just two kilometers from the SS131bis de Carlo Felice.

• Origin of the Name: One version suggests the name indicates a locality “Rich in rue” (Ricca di ruta), while another suggests the ancient name was Crypta or Crupta (cave), which transformed into Borutta through the substitution of ‘g’ with ‘b’.

• Economy: Founded primarily on agricultural production (cereals, wheat, vegetables, fodder, vines, olives, fruit) and zootectny (cattle, pigs, sheep, equines), with limited industrial presence restricted to small construction and publishing enterprises.

Historical Overview

• Antiquity: The territory has been inhabited since prehistoric times, as evidenced by the natural Ulari Cave (Crypta Ulari), which was occupied during the Recent Neolithic period and yielded axes, flint and obsidian artifacts, pottery, and human bones.

• Medieval & Feudal Eras: In the medieval period, the locality of Monte Sorrano above the Ulari Cave grew in importance due to the vanished City of Sorres, an episcopal seat that belonged to the curatoria of Meilogu in the Giudicato of Logudoro. The Benedictine monastery hosted Bishop Goffredo di Meleduno, the nurse-monk of Clairvaux and friend of Saint Bernard, who shaped the current appearance of the Cathedral of San Pietro. Following the death of Adelasia of Torres in 1255, it passed to the Doria family and later to the Aragonese. Before 1388, surviving populations from the destroyed city of Sorres poured into Borutta, making it the bishop’s residence. In 1750, it became a fief of the Martinez family (Marquises of Valdecalzana). It was aggregated to Ghilarza in 1927 and regained its administrative autonomy in 1958.

Festivals and Traditions

• Thursday following the first Sunday after Pentecost: Feast of the Octave of Corpus Christi (Festa dell’Ottava del Corpus Domini), historically the town’s most solemn feast established during the era of the Diocese of Sorres. Also known as Sa festa de Su Brou due to the traditional distribution of broth and boiled meat from a large cauldron, it has been revived since 2011 with a procession from Santa Maria Maddalena to San Pietro di Sorres and a community dinner featuring boiled mutton and gnocchetti.

• May 18: Feast in honor of the Blessed Virgin of Pompeii.

• June 29: Feast of Saint Peter (San Pietro), the town’s primary religious procession where the community travels from the town parish to the monastery on foot and on horseback.

• July 14: Sa corcorija (Zucchini Festival), a gastronomic competition celebrating dishes featuring the summer squash.

• July 22: Feast of the Patron Saint, Saint Mary Magdalene (Santa Maria Maddalena).

• August 24: La Bastida de Sorrs, a historical re-enactment organized by the Memoria Milites group featuring a medieval camp, falconry, knight arming, and a re-enactment of the 1347 Battle of the Bastida of Sorres.

Exploring the Center of Borutta

• Town Hall (Municipio): Located on Via della Libertà, housing municipal offices and the local post office.

• Municipal Cemetery: Situated to the left of Corso Trieste just before entering the main village area.

• Oratory of the Holy Cross (Chiesa ed oratorio della Santa Croce): Built in the 12th century and heavily remodeled in the mid-20th century, serving as the original rectory dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene and briefly functioning as a cathedral seat for the last bishops of Sorres.

• Parish Church of Saint Mary Magdalene: Built in the 18th century and completed around 1779, featuring a single nave, lateral chapels, and a barrel vault.

• Municipal Five-a-Side Football Pitch (Campo da Calcetto): Located along Via della Libertà.

• Borutta Sports Ground: Situated southwest of the village center.

Exploring the Surroundings of Borutta

• San Pietro di Sorres Hamlet & Basilica: Located 1.7 kilometers west of the town center within the small hamlet of San Pietro di Sorres. The Basilica of San Pietro di Sorres is a Pisan-Romanesque church erected at the end of the 11th century and remodeled between 1170 and 1190. It served as the cathedral and episcopal seat of the defunct Diocese of Sorres until 1505. Since 1950, the national monument has housed a community of Benedictine monks. The church features a bichrome façade (light and dark trachite basalts), three naves, cross-vaulted ceilings, a 15th-century wooden statue of the Madonna and Child (Madonna delle Grazie and Queen of Sorres), and a sarcophagus traditionally identified as the tomb of Blessed Goffredo di Meleduno.

• Ulari Cave (Sa Rocca Ulari): A natural karstic cave located beneath the basilica on the flank of the hill, extending 190 meters into a 350-meter network. It served as a dwelling and burial site during the Ozieri Culture (Recent Neolithic) and hosts one of Sardinia’s largest bat colonies comprising five different species.

• Lime Kilns (Furraghes): Located on the Punta ’e Mura limestone plateau south of the basilica, preserving historic kilns and stone-built pinnettas dedicated to historical lime production.