Bastida di Sorres: let's dive into a Medieval battle!

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Ciao, Hive family!

We have finally come to the last episode about the Bastida di Sorres, a three-day festival that celebrates the Medieval history of Sardinia. In particular, we are talking about an old town named Sorres, a castle that became the scene of a legendary battle against the Spanish in 1334.
In the following century, during the final phase of the Spanish conquest, Sorres met a sad end, being definitively razed to the ground like many other Sardinian towns.

For this reason, we often have no certain sources in Sardinia: a large part of the historical archives were destroyed. The positive side in this, is that this increases the charm of this mysterious island, where oral traditions are still very important nowadays.
The battle of Sorres itself is still shrouded in myth.

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Background

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According to traditional tales, the battle of Sorres was caused by an assassination.
In the cities conquered by the Spanish, people were not happy. They were simple and humble people, mostly shepherds and farmers; they had no money or gold, but dreamed to recover at least their freedom.

On the other hand, the Spanish control was ruthless.
Their power was based on strength and terror and, in order to consolidate their position, they used to mistreat the civilians and keep them poor and frustrated, robbing them of their harvest. When the peasants dared to complain, some of them were killed.

This part of the spectacle was emphasized by the sound of the tambourines and flutes, as well as the cries, insults and laments of the characters.

Sardinian leaders, which maintained control of some parts of the island, exploited this discontent enlisting the rebel peasants and enormously increasing the proportions of his army. Plus, they were also supported by the city of Genoa, famous for its ships and crossbowmen, which was then at the height of its power.

Sardinians and Genoese mercenaries honoring the fallen.
The gold and silver banner with a black eagle in the center belonged to the Doria, one of the most ancient and important families of the aristocracy of Genoa. They played a very important role along the centuries, especially with the admiral Andrea Doria, fascinating protagonist in the Mediterranean Sea during the XVI century.

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Prepare for battle!

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The Sardinian army, engaged in the reconquest of the island, appeared at the gates of Sorres in 1334.

The Spanish leader, Bernardo de Senesterra, was asked to surrender without a fight, avoiding in this way a huge waste of human lives, but he refused this offer, convinced he could resist.

In effect, the first assault on the walls didn't manage to solve the battle. Sardinians were pushed back, and for a while it seemed that the chances of victory could definitively fade.

In this moment of uncertainty, while the Sardinian army were trying to reorganize on the battlefield, the Spanish attacked, coming out of the castle.
The battle then lived its most difficult, bloodiest and tragic moment.

The final result remained in doubt for a long time, but the battle ended with the capture and killing of the Spanish leader, while the Spanish survivors ran away from the field to save their life.

Sorres was rescued, free once again. Sardinians had made it!

This was also the last activity of "our" Bastida. Having to drive for a couple of hours, my friend and I decided to leave around 7:00 pm, but the festival program included other performances until late evening.
Too bad! Would have been nice to stay for more!

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Some random moments

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What I liked most about this event, is how they managed to put together a plenty of different things: activities, spectacles, natural wonders, animals, archaelogy, artistic performances... there was really something for everyone!

Remains of the Nuraghe, a prehistoric castle typical of Sardinia. Until now circa 7000 Nuraghes have been surveyed, spread all over the island. They were built around 4000 years ago, long before the Roman conquest.

Sa Rocca Ulàri: a natural cave located in the surroundings of Sorres, inhabited by humans in ancient times. Nowadays, it hosts a huge colony of rare bats.

Archaeologic museum: the tomb of this Byzantine father, lived 1500 years ago and buried hugging the remains of his little child. Parental love has no limits in time and space.

Theatrical show set, obviously, in the Sardinian Middle Ages. Consider that huge lovely dog as a bonus 😍

Racing horsemen. Clothes are fine, but sunglasses were better left at home... 🙃

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Thank you for your attention, your time and your company! I really hope I managed to show you something interesting.
If you didn't read the other posts dedicated to this event, and you're curious to know more, you can find them here (Medieval encampment and Falconer + Nun). Thank you once again, and see you on the road,

Alessandro