I started it on May 2, 2026 from Olbia and, step by step, I made my way into Barbagia. Hour after hour, this path takes us into a wonderful atmosphere of ascents and descents, meadows, fragrant bushes, harsh, hard and prickly land, but also lush.
This is how we get to know that part of Sardinia where people meet you, don’t know you, but look straight into your eyes and read your soul. People who, with a smile, invite you into their homes: a glass of water, a coffee, a sweet … and a lot of respect, because you are a pilgrim of Bonaria.
Those who hosted me told me about their Sardinia, the hard life of their fathers, and I found stories similar to those of ours: hardworking, poor, but rich in dignity. Knowing how to live with the bare essentials, with the indispensable, just like in a pilgrim’s backpack, where there is nothing more than the essentials.
Day after day, there is no shortage of fortuitous but emotionally rich encounters: it is raining, a man invites us to shelter under a porch; two chats, then he takes his wine, his pecorino and his bread. Believe me: the sun appeared, even though it was still raining.
The stages follow one another and the emotions continue. The scenery changes: in Marmilla there are no longer cork trees, but vineyards and flocks guarded by the Maremma people; then the Campidano, with its fields of wheat that, under the mistral, look like waves of the sea.
This journey is also sensory: step by step it brings you close to your destination, and a smile at the end of the day warms your heart. This island reveals to you its past, its devotion, its present, its passion, its products and its people, who welcome you and greet you with that light in their eyes that is hope and a sincere desire to meet again.
In the Bonaria Walk I was looking for the heart of an island, but I also found the true soul of the Sardinians and the most authentic Sardinia.
I conclude my stages on May 15, but the real conclusion comes on Sunday, May 17, my birthday. Accompanied by a folkloric dance, we return, together with a large group of bonarinas and bonarinas, who are in charge of the walk, joined by the Filippide Project kids, their parents and valuable volunteers, to retrace the final stretch of the route.
Then, the moment in the Basilica: reflection and prayer to Our Lady of Bonaria, which still leaves me with strong emotions, a worthy conclusion to a humanly engaging journey.
To Our Lady of Bonaria, eternal gratitude for guiding me on this unforgettable journey.
P.S.
A special thanks I owe to those who introduced me to the Bonaria Walk: friend, inspiration and teacher.
Thank you, Carlo.
Adalberto Mengotti
