Gal Marmilla

The small village of Gonnoscodina stands on a hillside among Mount Arci and the Gesturi and Siddi Giaras. Also the name of the village derives by its geographical position: as the root "Gonnos" means “hill”, while “Codina" means “stone, rock”.

The territory fertility, as well as the presence of many watercourses like Rio Mogoro (river), contributed to the formation of human settlements since the nuraghic epoch. Afterwards, it became a Roman settlement, as it is proved by the finding of a small necropolis and a monetary deposit in the surrounding countrysides.

The historic centre holds many buildings going back to the second half of the nineteenth century, with their beautiful stone portals. The ancient bridge in Roman style is of notable architectonic importance: it has three spans and stone full-centre arches; it was probably built in the eighteenth century.

St. Daniel’s Church stands in a beautiful park with typical Mediterranean scrub. It was built about the first half of the nineteenth century, on the basis of a design derived on the cathedral of Ales, implying imposing architectural proportions and a large and elegant dome.

The Saint is celebrated three times per year: the 9th of May, the 15th of October and the 13th of November. Formerly in that occasion, hundreds of pilgrims poured in the village with horses and decked carts, called “traccas”, loaded with flowers, oranges, lemons and coloured textiles.

St. Sebastian’s patronal Church was erected between 1839 and 1845 in Ionic style, in place of ancient St. Bartholomew’s parish church, of which today only two full-centre arches remain. The festival in honour of St. Sebastian falls on the 20th of January, with solemn rites and making a characteristic bonfire during the night on the eve of the festival.

Municipality web site: www.comune.gonnoscodina.or.it