Bari Sardo or Barì, as its inhabitants prefer to call it in Sardinian, is the name that King Victor Emmanuel gave this community in 1862 so as not to confuse it with the capital of Puglia. It has about 4000 souls and lies in the middle of Ogliastra. It is surrounded by generous hills full of vineyards and olive groves overlooking the sea.
It is protected by the majestic Teccu plateau, formed by the eruption of a volcano whose mouth is still visible. Its territory, which has always been welcoming, cultivates a relationship with man with deep roots that are lost over the centuries.

The actual birth of Barì dates back almost with certainty to the Middle Ages, a period when the populations that inhabited the coast were forced to take refuge inland because of the constant Vandal and Saracen raids. Sardinia in this period, starting in 534 A.D., found itself under Greek-Byzantine domination.

Beginning with the defeat of the Arab chief Mugiahid who had conquered southern Sardinia, the maritime republic of Pisa fostered a progressive influence on the island that would culminate in its occupation in 1257. The twenty-two heads of families of Barì were thus forced to pay tributes equivalent to 12 lire and 13 soldi to the maritime republic, which would, in turn, be defeated by the Aragonese fleets in 1325.

In 1363, with the Spanish domination, Ogliastra and Quirra were annexed into a single county whose control passed from the hands of the Carroz family to that of the Centelles and finally to the Osorios until 1839. A feudal system was thus inaugurated that would last more than 400 years. Bari Sardo found itself having to pay an even higher tribute of 29 lire and 15 soldi.

Suppose contact with Christianity occurred around the 6th or 7th century. In that case, we can say that until 1500, in Ogliastra and Bari Sardo, faith was not a real priority for the lower clergy: corruption or concubinage were the order of the day. It was only after the Council of Trent that a reforming will was manifested even towards the more peripheral dioceses. In fact, no less than six churches were built throughout the century in Barì, only two of which have survived to this day: the church of Santa Cecilia and that of San Leonardo.

These were the years of the Inquisition. Superstition and witchcraft, which were widespread in Sardinia at the time, were bitterly fought by the Church. Belief in demonic forces was the insinuation that was directed especially at women who were accused of being cogas or bruxas (witches). Historical sources report an episode in which a man and a woman from Bari Sardo were accused of magic and subsequently condemned.

In 1587, the famous Tower of Sant’Antonio di Barì was erected. According to some scholars, rather than a defensive purpose, it is believed, it actually served to contain the growing smuggling caused by the heavy duties imposed on goods by the Spanish.

In the 17th century, work began on the construction of the Church of the Blessed Virgin of Monserrato, which would not be completed until around 1800. From 1760 onwards, we know that, for almost a decade, the parish of Bari Sardo became a hive of workers and skilled artisans specialised in working marble, the so-called marmoleros.

In 1720, after almost 400 years of Spanish rule, Sardinia was ceded to the Savoys. If, on the one hand, they left unchanged the administrative apparatus in place until then, even tolerating the use of the Spanish language, on the other, they found themselves facing a serious problem, that of banditry. This phenomenon, the result of the severe economic and power crisis that forced the inhabitants of these areas to live in conditions of extreme poverty, lasted until well into the 20th century. Suffice it to say that in the years between 1821 and 1829, 14 murders were recorded in Bari Sardo alone.

For millennia, agriculture and pastoralism have been the mark of a simple, hard-working society, in symbiosis with a nature that could prove more or less generous. Hence the need to rely on the rituality of worship in the hope of prosperous years. These are the feasts of San Giovanni (Saint John), and Su Nenneri linked to the wheat harvest, the feast of Saint Isidore, patron of harvests and farmers, the feast of Saint Michael and Jerome linked to the grape harvest. This deep relationship with faith also resonates in two other events that are particularly felt by the community: the Stations of the Cross and the Living Crib. Evocative ceremonies that recall the pattern of the medieval theatre, thus reviving the deep connection that the religious sphere had with the simple life of peasant society.

Two prints dating back to the years 1858-1860 by the watercolourist Giovanni Gessa show us with great accuracy the styles of men’s and women’s clothing in use in Bari Sardo from the mid-19th century onwards. It is conceivable that the Spanish influence had a significant influence on the evolution of traditional dress. The female costume is made entirely of cloth. The skirt gathered at the waist is blue and has a green silk rivet at the bottom. The headgear widespread throughout the Ogliastra area, Manteddu, is also made of red cloth edged with blue silk. The jacket, Gipponi, is narrow and tight-fitting, edged with silk lace, leaving the front of the shirt uncovered.

The men’s costume, a suit of fine workmanship, has features that are not sufficiently represented in the iconographic sources, and consists of simple garments with references to those in use in the surrounding area. The short coat, Gabanella, is made of brown orbace edged with bright red cloth. The skirt and leggings are made of black orbace. The men’s dress has the particularity of having the bodice and cap in red cloth.