Santu Lusssurgiu, San Leonardo de Siete Fuentes Park

San Leonardo de Siete Fuentes Park. Photo by Irene Ollargiu, 2025, from Catalogo BBCC

The Park is located in the homonymous hamlet of the Municipality of Santu Lusorgia, in the sub-region of Montiferru, in an area rich in forests, wildlife and numerous natural springs. The area covers about 3.25 hectares. From a historical point of view, the park is closely linked to the birth of the medieval village that developed around the church of San Leonardo, built in the 12th century by Cistercian monks near a water source consisting of seven sources, ad septem fontes that later became seven fountains. Around the church, arranged in a semicircle, are the muristenes, ancient lodgings used by pilgrims and novenants. The church and Muristenes complex ideally represents the heart of the park, which is thus divided into two distinct areas, separated by Via degli Olmi, the main road that crosses the area. Other secondary streets further divide the space, while maintaining a harmonious integration with the surrounding village. As a whole, the Park is a spontaneous expression of botanical species that characterize the region to which it belongs: holm oaks, cork oaks and chestnut trees. Over the years, the Park has been the subject of several significant interventions, starting from the second half of the 19th century until today, which have involved the arrangement of the Seven Fountains, the internal streets and the planting of the maple forest in the upper park. The composition and scenography are created by dense vegetation and natural terraces marked by stone walls. The area to the northeast has a landscape dominated by the presence of holm oaks, maples, plane trees and chestnut trees, arranged irregularly or sometimes arranged in rows. This area is enriched with benches and a picnic area. The area is bounded at the southern end by a small lake fed by springs located upstream. In the northwestern portion of the park, a paved road leads to the Seven Fountains complex. The “Seven Fountains” that give the Park its name are located in Via S' Olostrighe or Via delle Fonti: the water flows from squared stone blocks embedded in a wall formed by large irregular boulders, which act as a retaining wall for the ground above. The water that flows from the fountains from the springs feeds a system of small streams and channels up to the pond.

Interesting aspects
The park has a strong landscape and environmental value. It represents a green lung and is a reference not only for the inhabitants of the village of San Leonardo and the Municipality of Santu Lusorgia but also for the regional territory. With a strong historical character due to the presence of the village built around the medieval church of San Leonardo.