Bultei, Church of San Saturnino di Usolvisi

The town of Bultei is located near the Tirso river, near the rural site corresponding to the Roman baths of Aquae Lesitanae. The church of San Saturnino di Usolvisi stands isolated on a hill, on the ruins of a nuraghe, in an area in the countryside of Bultei that has returned abundant archaeological finds dating back to the pre-Nuragic era.
The church of San Saturnino di Usolvisi owes its attractions not only to the Romanesque forms, characterized by great architectural simplicity, but also to the landscape value of the site, as well as to the interest of the installation on the crumbling stones of a nuraghe.
The first news of the title “sancti Saturnini de Usolvisi” dates back to 1163, the year in which it was donated to the Camaldolese monks by Attone, bishop of Castra. The church factory can be ascribed to workers operating around the middle of the 12th century.
The church, with a single room, is in volcanic cantons from local quarries. The apse is oriented N/E and surmounted by a sailing bell tower, perhaps not in its original position. The façade, very linear, is reinforced at the corners by sturdy corner protectors; in the center, the portal opens with lintels on which it sets up a raised arch. The same happens for the laterally opened portal. There are two windows in the sides and one in the apse.

History of studies
The studies start from the entry “Bultei” by Vittorio Angius, inserted in the Casalis “Dictionary” (1834), proceeding with the contributions of Dionigi Scano (1907) and Raffaello Delogu (1953). The monographic article by Aldo Sari dates back to 1985, followed by Roberto Coroneo's summary sheet in the volume dedicated to Romanesque architecture (1993). Finally, in 2005, it was discussed in the volume “Bultei and its territory” by Andrea Fenu.

Bibliography
V. Angius, “Bultei”, in G. Casalis, Historical and Statistical Geographical Dictionary of the States by H.M. the King of Sardinia, II, Turin, G. Maspero, 1834, pp. 691-694;
D. Scano, History of Art in Sardinia from the 11th to the 14th Century, Cagliari-Sassari, Montorsi, 1907, p. 336;
R. Delogu, The Architecture of the Middle Ages in Sardinia, Rome, The State Library, 1953, p. 146; G. Zanetti, The Camaldolese in Sardinia, Fossataro, 1974, pp. 125-129; A. Sari, “A Church

Romanesque architecture of the Goceanarium: the San Saturnino di Usolvisi”, in Sesuja, I, 1985, pp. 121-127;
R. Coroneo, Romanesque Architecture from the Mid Thousand to the Early '300, Nuoro, Ilisso, 1993, sheet 49; R. Coroneo, Romanesque Churches of Sardinia.
Tourist-cultural itineraries, Cagliari, AV, 2005, pp. 62-63;
A. Fenu, Bultei and its territory, Nuoro, Solinas, 2005.

How to
get there Leave the SS 131 at Macomer and take the 129 road for about 15 km. Then turn to the S. to take the 128 bis. After passing the town of Anela, after a few kilometers you reach Bultei. Leaving the town in the direction of Benetutti, you arrive at the rural site of Terme Aurora, where the church stands on an isolated hill.