Osilo is a small village on the hills near Sassari.
In this area you will find many points of interest and many panoramic places.
Our visit, which we are about to describe to you, took place on a splendid spring day; we have privileged the various viewpoints in the area, aware that there are many other attractions worthy of a visit.
There are numerous scenic stretches of road here, which are popular with avid drivers, motorcyclists and cyclists. Precisely for this reason we mention the route we have chosen: the provincial road 72 which from Sennori leads us to a luxuriant valley.
In a few kilometres, from a placid hilly plateau, we find ourselves almost catapulted into another dimension, with the road climbing steeply in a mountain environment… it almost seems like a reduced-scale version of the landscapes of the Alps, complete with dense vegetation – very green – hairpin bends and overhanging rock faces!
At the point where the valley narrows, we reach the small hamlet of San Lorenzo, known for the remains of its mills.
As we continue uphill, the valley becomes wider again and, when we reach the hamlet of Santa Vittoria, we are in fact facing a very green plateau.
1) Santa Vittoria de sa Rocca
The hamlet of Santa Vittoria consists of a group of houses “clinging” to the rock of a mountain ridge. The rock is also an integral part of the town, as can be seen from the streets and stairways carved into the mountain.
Walking through the alleys of the hamlet, we reach the singular Church of Santa Vittoria de sa Rocca: built in the seventeenth century, it has a sober façade, surrounded on one side by vertical walls of mountain stone and on the other by a splendid landscape of verdant hills.
But it is above all the interior of the church that leaves you speechless: the single nave has a slightly curved plan that adapts to the ground! We walk it up to the final part, where a small door opens; from here we observe the postcard landscape recognizing Osilo and its soaring castle in the distance.
2) Sant’Antonio church
We continue our approach to Osilo, up to the edge of the village, where we find the signs for the Church of Nostra Signora di Bonaria. After a few hundred meters we stop at the Church of Sant’Antonio
It is a small country church dating back to the 17th century, with a rather simple structure, which stands on a magnificent natural terrace.
The view in front of us can range from nearby Osilo to the plateaus and plains of the Sassari area, up to the sea in the distance.
We look at the tower of Malaspina Castle of Osilo, which stands out over the houses of the village: it was certainly a privileged observation point of great importance in the Middle Ages.
3) Nostra Signora di Bonaria Church
So we continue in the direction of the last destination of our journey: the Church of Our Lady of Bonaria.
The road proceeds towards the highest peak of Mount Tuffudesu, the main one among those in the Osilo area, on which the sanctuary stands; a short distance from the summit you can park in a large square and walk up the stone staircase leading to the church in a few minutes.
Nostra Signora di Bonaria dates back to the 17th century; it has essential lines and is surrounded by a large stone square that allows us to admire incredible views in every direction.
From the Gulf of Asinara to Mount Limbara and the Tempio area, from the suburbs of Sassari up to the reliefs of the area of Alghero… and again the hills of Anglona and Monteacuto, the villages and farmhouses scattered throughout the valley…
We are in a mystical place where time seems to stop and the gaze wanders, perishing in these unique landscapes!
Those who want to continue exploring the municipality of Osilo will surely find many interesting places in addition to those already described, such as the castle, the mills of San Lorenzo, the country churches and the remains of the Nuragic era … which perhaps will be the destination of a next visit!