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Loculi rests in the plain crossed by the River Sologo, an affluent of the River Cedrino, a few kilometres from Baronia, surrounded by hills and overlooked by the majestic, snowy profile of Mount Albo, the "Sardinian Dolomite". The village has a population of just over 500, and is 34 kilometres from Nuoro. The name is said to derive from locus, "holy forest" or "small place". It may have Phoenician or Punic origins, supported by the finding in 1959 of a jug from the period containing bronze objects and coins. The village has agricultural, sheep-farming, craft trade and religious traditions. Of the 17 churches existing from the 15th to 20th century, only the parish church of San Pietro e la Madonna de sa Defessa (the Defence) remains, and the patron saints are celebrated in late August and mid-January respectively. The rituals of the Holy Week are very popular. In the village centre stands sa Domo de sas artes e de sos mestieris, where you can discover the Baronia arts and crafts through the shots by photographer Carlo Bavagnoli. Part of the long ridge of Mount Albo falls into the territory of Loculi: the limestone bastion can offer evocative views along the marked paths. These paths, once used by charcoal burners and shepherds, climb right to the twin peaks of Turuddò and Catirina (1127 metres), through forests of ancient holm and oak trees. The area is a nature reserve inhabited by mouflons and surveyed by royal eagles. In the northern part, where the plants become sparse, you can admire a "lunar" landscape.

The territory of Loculi has been settled since the Neolithic, as shown by the domus de Japas dug from vertical cliffs, some "single chamber" (the domu of Pira 'è Tusu, Locurréris and Ena Longa), and others with more than one chamber (Tùrrighe and Puntèri). A megalithic dolmen-type burial in Santa Maria di Loculi dates to a period of passage between the pre-nuraghic and nuraghic ages. There are also nuraghic burials in the area: the Giant's tomb of s'Iscusorju ("hidden treasure"), around two kilometres from the town, is covered by pistacia trees, from which a corridor emerges, bordered by granite slabs in a "knife" layout, covered by jack-arched slabs. 15 kilometres from the village is the tomb of Ena Tunda, of which the lower part is preserved in the form of a long, apsed body, a rectangular corridor with a pointed ceiling and a semi-circular (exedra) entrance. The tomb of su Gollèi Lupu, with a cambered stele and gradually curving layout appears to be built over a previous dolmen: covering slabs are spread over the surrounding area. The nuraghes, which are linked, are positioned according to a strategic defensive design. A five metre high tower, entrance with architrave and part of the cell remain of the well-preserved Caraòcu (or Corricanu) nuraghe. The Preda Longa nuraghe is also very evocative.

An aura of mystery surrounds the ruins of a fortress near Santa Maria Coghinas, in the historical region of Anglona. Perching on the granite mountain known as monti di lu Casteddu (or Mount Urtigiu), along the Mount Ruju chain, Casteldoria (or Castello dei Doria) overlooks a fertile valley fed by the "healing" waters of the River Coghinas and Lake Casteldoria, where the Romans built an important bath complex. The castle was built around the 12th century by the Genoese Doria family, and passed from the Genoese dominion to the Aragonese, then to the Arborea Giudicato and lastly to the Malaspina family.

Only a few ruins remain of the fortress: parts of the walls, the remains of a chapel and a large cistern that was probably used to collect and store water. The famous tower, on the other hand, is well-preserved, and is an important part of the castle, built in large, rectangular granite blocks set in mortar. Twenty metres high, it has a pentagonal layout with the entrance on the north-eastern side. On the same side are two large, non-aligned openings, and a large window on the opposite side on the first floor. Inside, the castle has three wooden floors with a tiled roof and walkway. The last floor was created from what was originally a mezzanine floor before a terrace.

The castle, and in particular the tower, is surrounded by legends and myths that have been handed down over the generations and narrated by Nobel prize-winner Grazia Deledda in her Racconti Sardi (1894). One story tells of an intricate system of underground tunnels running between the castle and the chapel of San Giovanni in Viddacuia, (now known as Viddalba), on the opposite shore of Coghinas. The secret passage is said to have been used by the Doria family to get to church on feast days. The tunnels hide another secret - that of an explorer of the tunnels who discovered four large rooms. In one, there was a heavy iron door, which is said to protect the fabulous treasure of the Dorias. Deledda describes a "conca della moneta" (coin hollow) next to the castle, where popular stories say the Dorias minted coin. Here a large gold bell was said to stand, rung by a stone thrown from the top of the hollow. To the west of the tower, where the Dorias walked in the summer evenings, the high, impressive towers were said to overlook the river like guardians.

Cheremule is located next to Monte Cuccuruddu, the 680-metre cone of an extinct volcano, surrounded by green forests, in the historical region of Logudoro. A small town of less than 500 inhabitants, it took its name from cheremulite, a volcanic stone used in the second half of the 20^th century for its insulating power. In fact, the town lies within a territory dotted with volcanic craters in Meilogu, becoming a protected natural monument in 1994, and prehistoric remnants of the Valle dei Nuraghi, with thirty complexes within a few hundred metres. The landscape is unusual and unique, with small hills that are sometimes pointed, sometimes rounded and sometimes cut by level plains.

Besides the nuraghe structures, there are also pre-Nuragic hypogenic necropolis within the territory, in particular the necropolis of Museddu with some Domus de Janas showing graffiti and bull protomes inside and outside. Moreover, there are some pinnettas scattered about, as characteristic conical pastoral stone constructions.

The main building is the parish church of San Gabriele Arcangelo, the patron saint celebrated on 29^th September, built in the 16^th century in Gothic-Aragonese forms. President of the Republic Francesco Cossiga chose this town to celebrate his funeral in 2010. From its slopes, extend the forest of Su Tippiri and the Monte Cuccuruddu pine forest, natural attractions that are not to be missed.

Set in the southern part of the Campidano plains, the town enjoys a very fertile soil crossed by several rivers, in particular the Rio Mannu. Decimoputzu is a town with a population of around 4500, and the name is first mentioned in the Middle Ages in the form of Decimopozzo or Decimo Pupussi when the territory was part of the Curatoria di Gippi within the Giudicato di Cagliari, and later the Reign of Sardinia, during the Aragonese-Spanish dominion. The town centre has two main churches: the parish church of Nostra Signora delle Grazie and the church of San Giorgio. The church of San Basilio is in the countryside outside the town. The surrounding land is characterised by greenhouses and vast fields of artichokes.

Its territory has been inhabited since the Neolithic. The most important nuragic sites are the nuraghes of Casteddu de Fanaris and Mount Idda, near which is a storage place where bronze items were found, including several swords. The ivory head of a Mycenaean soldier statue also dates to nuragic times, confirming trade with the Aegean civilisation, and found in the Mitza Purdia area. However, the most important finding is also the oldest, dating from the late Neolithic (3000 BC): the domu de Janas at sant'Iroxi, also known as the Warriors' Tomb, where 19 sword blades and arsenical copper, dating to the oldest nuragic phase (the Bonnanaro Culture, 1600 BC). The site, which was found by chance in 1987, was used for around 1500 years as a village and inhabited again in Roman times. It owes its name to the high number of skeletons (more than 200) laid in 13 chronological layers, and the rich warrior funeral goods found in the domu. These are now held at the National Archaeological Museum in Cagliari.

Originally a fraction of Perfugas, Erula was officially founded in 1988 by the ‘scorporo’ (separation) of the territory into four towns. A village of about 800 inhabitants within Anglona, Erula was built in the 19^th century by around fifty Gallura farming families hailing from Aggius, Bortigiadas and Tempio Pausania, who imported traditions and dialectal variety. They settled in Su Sassu, once a forest also populated by deer, fallow deer and rare species of birds. Its origins can perhaps be traced back through the usual winter transhumance of the shepherds. The first houses were constructed in the Su Nuraghe district. The city centre is spread out, as is typical of Gallura stazzi, and extends to the main street. Erula was formed starting with the Chiesa di Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore (1932), a parish that includes historic churches of the fractions Erulesi, in particular the sanctuary of Santa Vittoria di Su Sassu, in Romanesque style, possibly attributable to the Victorians of Marseilles. Parchments, intact to this day, reveal that it dates back to 1120 and are the oldest document on Sardinian churches.

The territory of Erula has been frequented since Neolithic times, as evidenced by the Domus de Janas near the town. Its wooded plateau and richness in springs was favourable for the Nuragic settlement, as is evidenced by the remains of the Erula nuraghe ancient megalithic edifices atop a hill, around which the first nuclei of the medieval village were built, Pubattu, Sa Toa (or, Poligosu) and the incomplete Nuragheddu, around which numerous boulders are scattered, all useful for the study of Nuragic architecture. Perched on an elevation is the nuraghe Spiene, known for the discovery (1925) of a votive ship with a deer protome, being the most valuable and important find ever discovered in Sardinia and preserved in the national archaeological museum of Cagliari. In the Sotgiu nuraghe, rather, lay shards of amphorae, pottery and Roman coins. An “elsa gammata” votive dagger found in the village is preserved in the archaeological museum of Perfugas. The plateau was also the site of Carthaginian trading traffic, as can be determined by a small treasure-trove of Punic coins, depicting the goddesses Tanit and Kore. As for the Roman age, large jars containing coins variously dated from the Julio-Claudian dynasty to the Antonine emperors were discovered. Also noteworthy is the discovery of a milestone indicating the one hundred and eightieth mile of the Tibula-Carales road.

Once the main aristocratic holding in the city, it is now six hectares of parkland with both natural and historic heritage, including an elegant monumental garden. Walking through the Monserrato park, nestling in a basin in the south-western suburbs of Sassari and restored to its former splendour in 2007 after extensive works, is like plunging into the past: the paths evoke the most important moments of its history, from its creation in the 17th century through to the 20th century. Over three and a half centuries, the park evolved from the original farmland to a refined garden with infinite plant varieties and architectural works embellishing the tree-lined paths. Walk through lindens, holly oaks, carobs, cypresses and pines. In the centre are six islands planted with orange trees. The irregular shape and variety of plantlife create unexpected clearings and "glimpses" with views over the city. Palms and erythrina plants alternate with olives and oleasters, citrus trees and pomegranates, box, horse chestnut, magnolias, willows, pistacia and Mediterranean plants. The park is further enhanced by the buildings constructed by the aristocratic families who owned it. The first of these was the Navarra family, Valencian merchants, followed by the Deliperi, including Giacomo Deliperi, the first mayor of the capital after the union between Piedmont and Sardinia. From 1866, it passed to deputy Giovanni Antonio Sanna, a cultured gentleman who was friends with Mazzini and Garibaldi; he was responsible for extending the "manor" and adding architectural features. He was followed by Baron Giordano Apostoli, who embraced the neo-Gothic ideals of Romanticism, erecting features such as the "Torre di Caccia" and the "Belvedere pond". This was the peak of its splendour. From 1921, the last owner was Nicolò Marquis of Suni (in Planargia).

A shady path through the olive grove leads to the "Green basin", and on to the "water temple" terrace, nearly ten metres long and six and a half high, in Neoclassical style. It appears almost unexpectedly, with a severe purity of line contrasting with the welcoming play of water. The facade is characterised by a portico with four limestone columns and vaulted ceiling. The temple overlooks a valley with a "nyphaeum" at its centre - a pool in the form of an elipsis decorated in Neoclassical style, nearly nine metres long and four wide. Continue on through the "linden walk" to the "house": from here, you can lean on the panoramic belvedere that leads onto "cypress walk". Don't miss the Neoclassic works added in the late 19th century, starting from the "frog pool", more than thirty metres long and ten wide. Resting sinuously against the slope, it is in perfect harmony with its natural setting. In the centre of the wall, water spurts from a vaulted passage. A short stairway leads to the monumental "Torre di Caccia", 14 metres high, with Guelph battlements. A narrow staircase climbs to the terrace, which offers a view that stretches as far as the sea. The lines of the facade are severe, although the building as a whole retains a softness. The "Caccia pool" acts as a wing to the water temple, emphasising its slight slope. Both the tower and the pool fit harmoniously into the overall complex of trees, lawns and paths as they slope gently down towards the valley. From the park, you can explore an ancient royal city: Fontana di Rosello, Piazza d’Italia and the Cattedrale di san Nicola di Bari are emblems of Sassari history and art.

To the west of Cagliari, after Assemini and on the edge of the State Road 130 leading to Iglesias, along a bend in the Riu Mannu, stands Decimomannu. A large town with over eight thousand inhabitants, it has always been a strategic outpost. Hence it was not by chance that the Via Caralis – Sulcis (Sant’Antioco) passed through Decimum in Roman times. Even the toponym is clearly of Roman origins, meaning ‘ten miles from Cagliari’. The first settlements in its territory are from the Neolithic period. A Nuragic village and a necropolis where bronze Punic coins were found bear witness to subsequent eras. According to the historian Casula, the 215 BC battle between the Romans and Sardinian-Punic people occurred near Decimo, during the Second Punic War. It was concluded with an overwhelming Roman victory, whose domination left several legacies, the most relevant being a bridge over the Riu Mannu in Bingia Manna, dated between the end of the 1^st century BC and the beginning of the 1^st century AD. Built in square limestone blocks, it is presmed to have consisted in thirteen arches. Today, three can be seen, along with the remains of other bases. Alongside are the ruins of a stone wall, an embankment for flooding. According to the Spano canon, “the bridge of Decimo was much nicer than that of Porto Torres”, with those of Sant’Antioco and Gavoi being the only Sardinian constructions still standing. Remains of another minor bridge are in the area of Su Meriagu. Other Roman remnants are those of the aqueduct, evidence of the first public water supply. In the Middle Ages, the village passed to the Giudicato of Cagliari, with many of the Giudicato residing there. From the Aragonese period, there is the sarcophagus of Violante Carroz, daughter of Giacomo, viceroy of Sardinia, held safe in the village cemetery.

The most important religious building is the parish church of Sant’Antonio Abate in Gothic-Catalan style, dating back to the 16^th century. With a single nave, there are three chapels on each side, a cross vaulting on the right side and barrel vaulting covering the left. Access to the presbytery is via a majestic arch with a starry vault. Of great importance are the Gothic capitals and the baptismal font. The façade is embellished with a Gothic portal, a rose window and – as of 1922 – a triangular tympanum. To the left stands the high bell tower.

Sant’Arega (Santa Greca) has been recognised and venerated for 1700 years in Decimo and throughout Sardinia. According to tradition, the plaque, considered to be authentic (4^th or 5^th century), preserves a relic found in 1633. She died a martyr at twenty years of age, perhaps during the persecutions of Diocletian and Maximian (304 AD). There is information on a church dedicated to her in 1500, built on an older one (perhaps from the 13^th century). In 1777, a new church was constructed at the southwest entrance of Decimo, with an altar and a pulpit in polychrome marble. It has undergone various changes and a complete restoration. The church remains isolated throughout the year, coming to life for a week in early October on the occasion of the feast in her honour that attracts thousands of people from all over the island.

Embellishing the Valle di Truculu are two almost-identical nuraghe megalithic edifices that date back around 3,500 years – the Orruttu and Sanu that rise up majestically, two kilometres from each other. Perhaps, together with a settlement and two megalithic tombs, they constituted a fortified palace on the Osini plateau, in the centre of Ogliastra, also renowned for the imposing and beautiful complex of the Serbissi nuraghe. Departing from the village, one reaches the valley passing the Scala di San Giorgio, a narrow passage dominated by the Castello, a rocky peak that was perhaps once a fortified Roman-Byzantine residence. After the ridge, about four kilometres from the village, is a lush green area replete with remnants from the Nuragic civilisation.

At the heart of the valley stands the Orruttu nuraghe. The structure is a lone tower, covered with a tholos (a faux dome) and comprised of large, well-squared blocks of limestone. At its base, the diameter reaches 12 metres, whilst the remaining height today reaches four and a half metres. A trapezoidal-shaped entrance leads to an internal room, where there are two niches and a staircase. Completing the scene are the remains of a circular hut with a rectangular atrium next to the tower. The massive structure was frequented from the middle of the Bronze Age to more recent times (1600-900 BC).

Towards the end of the valley, the Sanu nuraghe rises up, the ‘giant’ of the archaeological area. The layout is identical: a lone tower with a vaulted tholos chamber, which today reaches six metres and has a diameter of twelve and a half metres. It is practically the ‘twin’ of the Orruttu. To be admired is the curated walling work, comprised of well-hewn blocks and horizontal rows. Placed at regular intervals, the blocks help to enhance the slender silhouette. Excavations revealed a niche and a staircase, as well as various bronze rings in an open circle, with a thin circular rod and pointed ends. The Sanu was also frequented throughout the same extensive period as the Orruttu, with a succession of uses. The dimensions express grandiosity and, considering the imposing diameter, both had to have originally been quite tall.

A few dozen metres from the Sanu, two Giants’ tombs can be admired. The burials, used in the Bronze Age, were frequented once more during the historical age. Their layout is that of the head of a bull, an animal deified by the Nuragic peoples. The rectangular apsidal funeral chamber intended for interment rituals is the head, the semi-circular space before it (exedra) are the horns. In Tomb A, part of the exedra can be seen. On the right-hand side, there are five slabs affixed to the ground, a single large block on the left side, which serves as a jamb for the entrance. The rectangular chamber is almost ten metres in length and less than one metre wide. In Tomb B, the exedra is represented by three blocks on the left side and four on the right.

Legend has it that the Virgin Mary appeared before two monks, showing them where to find the relics of Saints Nicholas and Trano and suggesting that a sanctuary be created in her honour amongst the granite and oaks of Cape Soprano, where Locus Santus would subsequently emerge. Legend has it that the Chiesa della Natività della Beata Vergine Maria, known as Our Lady of Luogosanto, was built around 1218 by the Franciscans who arrived in Gallura at the beginning of the XIII century, building one of the first monasteries here during the lifetime of Saint Francis. In 1227, a few years after its completion, Pope Honorius III granted the church the title of Minor Basilica (the first church in Gallura to receive this honour). In the same year, in the countryside where the relics of the protagonist Saints were found, the Hermitage of San Trano sanctuary was constructed. The basilica was rebuilt in the 18^th century, at which point it was granted the honour of a Holy Door. Having been walled-up previously, from the 1970s it was represented by a bronze door, the work of the sculptor Luca Luchetti. Presently, it is opened by the bishop for 12 months once every seven years.

La Nostra Signora di Luogosanto, constructed in square granite ashlars, has Romanesque forms. It has maintained the original 13^th-century structure with three naves, having been expanded in 1912 to incorporate a portico that was originally detached. The interior is characterised by a beautiful 18^th-century wooden Madonna statue known as the Regina di Gallura. Even the statue is shrouded in legend, said to have been found on a beach in Arzachena. Highly revered, it is the symbol of Luogosanto, a village comprised of narrow alleys and granite houses, with the locals being particularly devout. 22 sanctuaries are housed within, throughout the village and the countryside. Not to be missed are that of San Quirico, San Leonardo and the village of Santo Stefano, having been declared a ‘Marian city’ as of 2008. Inside the Basilica are other works of art, including the frescoes of the Baptism of Jesus and the Saints Nicholas and Trano, the statues of the Virgin Mary of Sorrows and of Saint Anthony the Abbot, and a characteristic crucifix. The village is a pilgrim destination, particularly in May, June and on 8^th September, when the nativity of the patron saint is celebrated with a great festival. During the period in which the Holy Door is open, the services are particularly solemn.

The foundation of the village dates back to the arrival of the Franciscans. The historic convent, having been restructured, houses the Museum of the Natività Beata Vergine Maria, a hub for documenting the Middle Ages in Gallura, which traces the historical-religious events and displays the ex-voto donated over the centuries to the Holy Child Mary. The Agnana museum, rather, displays the history of the stazzi, typical rural settlements. Interesting historical buildings close to the churches are Palazzo di Baldu and the Castello di Balaiana

This temple is a symbol of the religious and socio-cultural integration of the Castello, the fulcrum of Cagliari, from the 13^th and 19^th centuries. The Basilica di Santa Croce can be explored whilst strolling through the heart of the city, upon entering into the medieval quarter from the Saint Remy bastion. After crossing the Torre dell’Elefante and going along the Santa Croce bastion in the direction of the Ghetto degli Ebrei, a stretch of a small piazza can be spied, preceded by a few steps and enclosed by the houses of the former Jewish quarter. Here, one faces the monumental façade of the basilica, which was reopened for worship in 2007 after decades of restoration. It is difficult to photograph the entire slender façade, given that one can only take a limited number of steps backward within the churchyard. The feeling of majesty increases once inside, with a single nave that is barrel vaulted and decorated with faux ceiling coffers by Ludovico Crespi.

There are three chapels on each side, also barrel-vaulted, decorated with baroque altars in polychrome marble, with sculptures and paintings from the 17^th and 18^th centuries. The presbytery is enriched by a high altar, guarded over by a wooden Crucified Christ, and closed by a semi-circular apse, on which Antonio frescoed the Saints Mauritius and Lazarus (1842). The façade is divided into two levels, with the lower one opening the portal, surmounted by a curved tympanum, and the upper one being distinguished by pilasters and bordered by two obelisks. Another peculiarity is the two bell towers. One is parallel to the façade, the other is near the presbytery, with a square-barrelled tower and an oriental dome. The history of the church, originally having been a synagogue, is intrinsically linked to the village, once the Giudaria of Cagliari, which reached its maximum expansion under Aragonese rule, before Ferdinand II banished from the territories of the Crown any Jewish and Muslim people who did not convert to Christianity (1492). The synagogue became a Catholic church and was granted to an archconfraternity, whose noble members were committed to comforting those condemned to death. In 1564, Archbishop Parragues, in order to promote cultural growth in the city, called upon the Jesuits, who were granted the church and adjacent houses, which became the College of the Company of Jesus. Thanks to the legacy left to them by the noblewoman Anna Brondo, the building was expanded and radically transformed. An inscription on the façade shows that the works were completed in 1661. At the end of the 18^th century, Pope Clement XIV suppressed the Jesuits and the complex passed to the State. Finally, at the beginning of the 19^th century, King Vittorio Emanuele I promoted the church to the rank of Masterful Basilica and entrusted it to the knightly order of the Saints Mauritius and Lazarus, to whom it still belongs. Throughout the centuries, the former college rather became the Monte di Pietà, a printing house, a Court, Court of Appeal, Faculty of Literature and, today, of Architecture.