Pabillonis
Pabillonis is a comune in the Province of Medio Campidano in the Italian region Sardinia, about northwest of Cagliari and about west of Sanluri.
Pabillonis borders the following municipalities: Gonnosfanadiga, Guspini, Mogoro, San Gavino Monreale, San Nicolò d'Arcidano, Sardara.
Physical geography
It is located in the centre-north of the Campidano plain, more precisely north of the "Pranu Murdegu", near the confluence of two waterways called Flumini Mannu and Flumini Bellu. It is mainly an agricultural village.The village develops around the church of San Giovanni, once a country church and chapel of an old cemetery on which currently stands a square.
Origin of the toponym
The origin of the name derives from the Latin "Papilio-ionis" meaning Roman military camps set up on site. In Sardinian the term has evolved into "Pabillone", "Papigione", "Papidzone" or "Pabunzone" to indicate a woodshed and, in some cases, even shelter for animals. This term, however, is widespread in the center-north of Sardinia, while it is not reflected in the local dialect of Pabillonis as to define the shelter of animals is used "Coratzu" and "Sa domu de sa linna" is the generic definition of the place where it was acatastated firewood. In the 1388 documents establishing the peace between Aragon and Arborea, the village is named as "Paviglionis", "Pavigionis" and "Panigionis".History
The first evidence of man in the territories of Pabillonis date back to the Neolithic period, in fact it is often possible to find fragments of worked obsidian. The massive presence of these findings suggest the presence of numerous villages at the water springs and rivers. No trace of typical Neolithic monuments has yet been found. However, it is probable that man lived in these areas even in the Eneolithic. The nuragic civilization has left as testimony the nuraghe "Surbiu", the nuraghe Santu Sciori, "Nuraxi Fenu" and the nuraghe "Domu'e Campu".Originally the village stood a couple of kilometers from the current location, the ruins are located near the rural church of San Lussorio, near the banks of the Flumini Mannu where the waters of the Rio Piras and Riu Bruncu Fenugu meet. The homonymous nuraghe and a Roman bridge called Su ponti de sa baronessa testify to the ancient origins of the village. During the Middle Ages it belonged to the giudicato of Arborea and more precisely to the curatorial office of Bonorzuli, the ancient centre was destroyed by the Saracens and rebuilt in its current position. At the fall of the judiciary it became part of the marquisate of Oristano, and from 1478, at its final defeat, it passed under the Aragonese dominion. The Aragonese incorporated the town into the county of Quirra, which was transformed into a marquisate in 1603, together with the barony of Monreale. Also in the Aragonese period, the town was first a feud of the Carroz, then of the Centelles and finally of the Osorio de la Cueva, to whom it was redeemed in 1839 with the suppression of the feudal system. In 1584 it was sacked by the Moors and the town was abandoned, the historian Vittorio Angius wrote: "... the barbarians were led there by a Sardinian renegade, , except for the people saved by the escape, the others were massacred or taken in slavery".
In 1934, during the fascist period, the reclamation of the marshes around the Flumini Mannu was carried out. On 5, 7, and 8 September 1943, the Pabillonis airfield in the Foddi region was bombed by a total of 112 P-40 planes from the 325th Allied Forces group. The fighter bombers dropped 20-pound bombs on the airfield and other targets. This was the last act of the war in Sardinia. A few hours later Badoglio officially announced Italy's exit from the conflict.
Monuments and places of interest
Religious architectures
Beata Vergine della Neve
The parish church of the Beata Vergine della Neve is the building with the most artistic vestiges. Built in the sixteenth century with a rectangular plan with three naves, the interior preserves frescoes. The simple façade is composed of a portal surrounded by pilasters. Inside the church there is a wooden tabernacle of the seventeenth century attributed to Giovanni Angelo Puxeddu.San Giovanni Battista
San Giovanni Battista is the oldest of the churches of Pabillonis, dating from the twelfth century and was part of the old cemetery.In Romanesque style, with a rectangular plan, a single nave and barrel vault, it has a bell tower with a double bell.
Archaeological Sites
Nuraghes
Near the ancient and the present inhabited village there are the nuraghes of Santu Sciori and Nuraxi Fenu and according to what Vittorio Angius wrote: «Within the circumscription of this territory there are three nuraghi, one called Surbiu, a little less than a mile from the town and mostly undone; the other called Nuraxi-Fenu, almost a mile and a half away, and worthy of being considered and evenovered to 'larger known, which are the next in the territory of Guspini, the Saureci, the Fumìu and the Orco; the third named by the Church of San Lussorio, close to the river, is also worth a visit for its size. It was surrounded by another building and two nuraghetti of this one can still be seen in part. In one of which, at the beginning of the current century, a quadrilong urn of two and a half meters was discovered on the major side, and inside the same of the great bones ».Santu Sciori
The nuraghe Santu Sciori is located in the area of San Lussorio where the ancient ruins are located; it has a poly-lobed bastion and antemural towers, probably dating back to 1300 BC.. In the Middle Ages it was used as a burial area, this reuse is evidenced by the discovery in the nineteenth century of a cinerary urn inside the ruins of one of its towers. Currently part of the nuragic complex is under the church built in the 70s, would require archaeological excavations to reconstruct more accurately the history of that area since written evidence is rare.Nuraghe Fenu
The Nuraxi Fenu is located about 3 km from the current town near the train station. Excavations begun in 1996 have brought to light many fragments of vases and also lanterns and some Roman coins that prove the attendance of the site in the imperial age. The remains of the nuraghe, which extend for about 2,000 square meters, belong to a large poly-lobed complex dating back to the Middle Bronze. Vittorio Angius, speaking of San Gavino says: "It can therefore be kept that within the limits of the territory of San Gavino arose in older times more than sixteen nuraghes, and that some of 'same were as big as what you see still in the vicinity of Pabillonis, which is one of' more colossal island...". When Angius wrote these words, the nuragic palace of Barumini had not yet been excavated. The stratigraphy has highlighted the abandonment of the nuraghe already in ancient times due to a fire and a collapse. It was then re-frequented by Punic people and later by the Romans. The oldest layer of settlements has not yet been excavated. The finds are currently kept in the archaeological museum of Sardara.Other nuragic monuments
To these two nuraghi, just mentioned, must also be added three others of which no trace remains or almost remains:- Nuraghe Dom'e Campu, was located in the area of Dom'e Campu, very close to the current industrial area PIP. It is assumed that around the nuraghe there was a large settlement given the many discoveries made.
- Nuraghe De Sa Fronta, no longer existing, its remains were used as large pens for livestock. It was located very close to the road leading to the railway station.
- Nuraghe Surbiu, some stones and a little more along the road Montangesa, in memory of a site that according to local records was used later as a furnace.
- Beyond these, about 900 meters in the NE direction from the Nurage De Sa Fronta there are the remains of the Giants' grave S'Ena and Zimini.
Archaeological Park
Casa Museo
The Casa Museo is located in the heart of the historic centre of Pabillon. It is an old two-storey house made of unfired earth, finely restored and furnished with antique objects. Belonged to the Cherchi family, it was then donated by the same family to the municipality that gave it this new cultural and historical purpose. It is currently used to host exhibitions and cultural events at various times of the year. It also houses the traditional clothes of Pabillonis.Society
Demographic trends
The number of inhabitants surveyed is 2721, according to ISTAT data at 31 December 2016 the foreign resident population was 72 people, 2.59% of the resident population.Languages and dialects
The variant of Sardinian spoken in Pabillonis is the western campidanese.Traditions and folklore
Of great importance are the religious celebrations that also take on a folkloric imprint. Below is a list of the most common festivals and events in Pabillonis.Festivities
- 16 January: Saint Anthony Abbot, also called Saint Antoni 'e su fogu. It is a night party, based on the lighting of a large bonfire ;
- 13 May: Madonna di Fátima;
- 24 June: Saint John the Baptist, the nativity of Saint John the Baptist is celebrated;
- 5 August: Blessed Virgin of the Snow, patronal feast;
- 18 August: San Lussorio, takes place in the homonymous country church;
- 29 August: Saint John the Baptist remembers the death of Saint John the Baptist with the preparation of Is carrus de s'àlinu, ox-drawn chariots and tractors decorated with alder branches;
- 31 December: Su trigu cotu, an ancient custom: you pass through the houses distributing cooked wheat as a wish for a good omen for the new year.