Abbasanta

Abbasanta is a small village set on the west side of Sardinia, on the main road that links Macomer to Oristano, on a lava plateau rich in cork oaks, olive trees and lentischi. The plateau originated by the lava of the volcanic complex of Montiferru. The landscape of the lava plateau is characterised by pastures closed by dry-stone walls, which delimit the tancas originated in the 18th century. In the surrounding countryside, there are still some typical shelters (pinnete) made of stones and boughs by the shepherds. The whole Abbasanta's plateau is rich in archaeological monuments.

In the past, the village was built all around the two churches of Santa Amada and Santa Caterina of Alexandria; the typical village stone houses are low and with few floors, without lodges, usually with a back courtyard where some space was reserved to the farm animals, since the population were traditionally involved with sheep farming. The front room of the house was often the kitchen, in the centre of which there was the hearth (in Sardinian language "su foghile"), that had even the function of drying the hanging cured pork meats. Later on, the fireplaces replaced the hearths.

Until the 1950s the uses of Italian and Sardinian language had distinct and complementary functions. Italian was the official language, used by the public administration, while Sardinian was the language spoken home and among friends.