There are places of memory, ancient lands, always explored with the respect due to the past, which carry with them the legacy of ancestral traditions and civilizations that have shaped history. A history lost over millennia, but from which still—thanks precisely to that almost religious respect—a ray of light shines, pointing to Sardinia's future. Multinational wind and agri-photovoltaic companies are about to intervene, de imperio , to extinguish it. "Enough interventions imposed from above," is the cry of the mayors. "The wind turbines will not destroy our landscape and our communities." But will rebellion be enough? In the municipalities with the most historically and archaeologically significant monuments, exclusive and untouchable, no one has ever attempted to plan interventions other than protection.
Jewels under fire
Yet, two kilometers from Santa Cristina di Paulilatino, something no one would have ever imagined is about to happen: "Devastation," says the mayor, Domenico Gallus, a former regional councilor. "Speculation imposed from above. I myself learned about the project by chance: we will certainly fight to prevent such a devastation. It's no coincidence that we are the town in the Province of Oristano that received the highest percentage under the Pratobello law." Protests are also being held in neighboring municipalities: "We are for a transition that stems from everyone's agreement," explains Bauladu mayor Ignazio Zara, interested in the wind farm plan, which could impact the nearby Santa Cristina site. "The landscape is ruined: the problem is that you can't ruin the view of an extraordinary hill overnight." Another affront to history, which, with a barrier of wind turbines that risks obscuring decades of scientific studies conducted by Giovanni Lilliu, a member of the Lincei Academy, could occur in Barumini.
The palace
The City Council immediately opposed the project for the construction and operation of a wind power plant called "Luminu," consisting of 17 wind turbines, each with a nominal power of 6.6 megawatts, for a total capacity of 112.2 megawatts. The project, to be built in the municipalities of Barumini, Escolca, Gergei, Las Plassas, and Villanovafranca, will include connection works in the municipalities of Genoni, Gesturi, and Nuragus. Michele Zucca, mayor of Barumini, noted: "The project is now being examined by the Prime Minister's Office, and we are ready to fight. A deafening silence has reigned for a year, but evidently, even in Rome, some people are not in favor of these plants. The point, however, is that we want to preserve not only the archaeological area but also the agricultural land, which would be compromised by the towers: they would change the landscape and the very structure of production activities." There were also vehement protests in Genoni. Gianluca Serra, who has been head of the city council for several years, maintains that, in the investors' plans, "the town is a sort of land-based Tyrrhenian link. A power plant will be built in our municipality, a 'power strip' that everyone can connect to, and we will become prey to wind and photovoltaic plants. It's not a question of incentives: impositions from above don't take root. They bring benefits to a few and disadvantages to many. Building the plant 600 meters from the nursery school and 700 meters from the hospice means building a new Ottana, and without even a shred of a study on the health consequences. But we've been here for 3,000 years; it will take them a long time before they kick us out." Samuele Gaviano, mayor of Serri, makes more or less the same argument about the wind and photovoltaic projects near the sanctuary of Santa Vittoria: "They want to fill the areas surrounding the archaeological site and the Giara with wind and photovoltaic power. A disaster: Santa Vittoria is among the 33 sites listed. Sardinians registered on the UNESCO . They presented a copy-and-paste plan with photographs from other territories. There will be no return for the people, only destruction."
