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The
Ethnographic Museum
Opened
in the '80s for the will of a group of young specialists in demo-ethno-anthropolgical
subjects as a first step towards the realization of an eco-museum, that
synthetizes the extraordinarily robust and variegated property of the
cultural complexes of the Barbagia Mandrolisai area.
The items put together are from the agro-sylvo-pastoral, crafts and commercial
sectors.
The magical-religious objects are very interesting.
"Ferru
pro faere ostias",
tool for the production of wafers
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Some
of the objects are exposed in the museum, given hospitality in provisional
quarters as waiting to be transferred to final headquarters.
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The
Old Prisons ("Sa
Bovida")
The
old prisons of "Sa Bovida" are located in an old 1700s building
used until the last postwar period as a top security jail. To reach
it one must go down a narrow flight of steps from the main road in front
of the parish church.
The building, built with shaly material and chestnut wood is characterized
by a subway "Sa Bovida" (the vault) of Hispanic origin. The
inside, today completely restructured, consists of a little room that
in ancient times was used as overseeing post, of two rooms (cells )
for the women and of a third room without any opening for the prisoners.
In the internal courtyard an old meridian can be admired.
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The
main wooden door on Via Antonio Mura
was added recently to allow the use
of the third room which has no openings
The
prison seen from Via Antonio Mura
The
room used by the guards with
access to the prisoners' rooms
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Extracts from a letter of the vice-king Balbiano to the Justice Ministers
of Aritzo
"Capitano di Cavalleria of Oliena" is arriving with six French
prisoners he successfully arrested. You will guard them in your prisons,
making sure they do not escape, but at the same time you will ensure that
they are treated charitably; you will give them two beds and feed them
with a pound of meat and a glass of wine. Keep good account of all that
you spend as you will be reimbursed by the Royal Coffer. Please ensure
that they do not speak to anybody, as you must know that the malice of
these people is that of pretending to be good and zealous when instead
they are not. You will keep me up to date with information about the prisoners
once a week and I will have, I hope, the opportunity to praise your diligence.
Cagliari, 4th February 1793
Balbiano
P.S. You will receive one hundred scudi to make up for the expired expenses,
of which you will give account, and the note of the prisoners. I wish
to inform you not to allow the prisoners and mainly to the Officer on
Board Reydlet to receive or send any mail, and please could you give a
room to the same officer and keep him separate from the others, I shall
be pleased of your attention".
(From "Lo Strillone" enclosed in 2000 Affari
- 20th November 2001)
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