Bulzi and the Anglona Region
The Historical Region of Anglona
Anglona is a region in northwestern Sardinia facing the Gulf of Asinara, bounded by the sea, the
Coghinas River, and Mount Sassu. Defined by volcanic and limestone plateaus, the inland area
(Anglona interna) is predominantly agricultural, producing grains, olives, citrus, and livestock.
Overview of Bulzi
Bulzi (Bultzi in Sardinian) is a small agricultural village situated at the foot of Mount Maltu and
Mount Sant’Elia. Lying within the inland Anglona region, the local dialect is Logudorese Sardinian,
notable for a rare grammatical feature where plural nouns exclusively use the feminine article
(sas).
Origins & History: Documented since 1341 as Gulte or Gulsei, the village’s roots date back to the
Lower Paleolithic. The modern town developed around two medieval Benedictine monastic
settlements: San Pietro delle Immagini and the now-lost San Pietro di Simbranos. During the
Middle Ages, it belonged to the Giudicato of Logudoro before passing to Montecassino Benedictine
administration, the Doria family, and Spanish feudal estates.
Key Sites & Archaeological Heritage:
• Church of San Pietro delle Immagini (San Pietro del Crocifisso): Constructed around
1050 and expanded in the 12th–13th centuries by Benedictine monks. The Romanesque
Gothic facade features alternating bands of red trachyte and white limestone, topped with an
carved lintel depicting a kneeling abbot flanked by monks.
• Parish Church of San Sebastiano Martire: Built in the 18th century and expanded in 1796
using re-purposed stone blocks from the demolished Church of San Pietro di Simbranos. It
houses a 13th-century alder-wood sculpture group depicting the Deposition of Christ from the
Cross—one of Sardinia’s few surviving Romanesque woodcarvings.
• Monti Maltu Roman Settlement: Built over a prehistoric sacred site, featuring ancient stone
blocks, Roman olive/grape pressing basins, and rock-cut staircases.
• Mount Pedrulongu Megalithic Wall: A massive stepped hill encircled by a prehistoric stone
wall enclosing the foundations of four circular huts.
• S’Arede Necropolis & Nuraghes: A concentration of twelve rock-cut domus de janas tombs
alongside the nearby ruins of the complex Bonora and Rodas nuraghi.