Fonni is a town and comune

Comune

In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...

in Sardinia

Sardinia

Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...

, in the province of Nuoro

Province of Nuoro

The Province of Nuoro is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia, Italy. Its capital is the city of Nuoro.It has an area of 3,934 km², and a total population of 161,444. The province is divided into 52 comuni, the largest of which are Nuoro , Siniscola , Macomer , and Dorgali...

 (Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

).

It is the highest town in Sardinia, and situated among fine scenery with some chestnut woods. Fonni is a winter sports centre with a ski lift to Monte Spada and Bruncu Spina.

History

The term "Fonni" probably derives from the Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 "fons" that it means Fountain or also "God of the sources". In fact the village counts numerous spring fountains.

Main sights

Fonni's territory is home to the very important Sanctuary of the Vergine dei Martiri, Fonni

Sanctuary of the Vergine dei Martiri, Fonni

The Sanctuary of the Vergine dei Martiri is a religious edifice in Fonni, Sardinia, Italy.On 14 April 1610, the Franciscan father of George Acillara took possession of the place where they would build the church and convent...

 from the 17th century which is a destination for pilgrims right next to the Franciscans Convent. The church was built in 1708 in Baroque style and contains some curious paintings by local artists.

Another important church built in the 11th century is the Patron Saint church of San Giovanni Battista, located in the oldest section of the village also known as "Su Piggiu".

A little to the south of Fonni stood the Roman station of Sorabile, mentioned in the Antonine Itinerary

Antonine Itinerary

The Antonine Itinerary is a register of the stations and distances along the various roads of the Roman empire, containing directions how to get from one Roman settlement to another...

 as situated some 100 km from Caralis on the road to Olbia

Olbia

Olbia is a town and comune of 56,231 inhabitants in northeastern Sardinia , in the Gallura sub-region. Called Olbia in the Roman age, Civita in the Middle Ages and Terranova Pausania before the 1940s, Olbia was again the official name of the town after the period of Fascism.-Geography:It is the...

. Excavations made in 1879 and 1880 led to the discovery of the remains of this station, arranged round three sides of a courtyard some 100 ft. square, including traces of baths and other buildings, and a massive embanking wall above them, some 150 ft. in length, to protect them from landslips, while a discharge certificate (tabula honestae missionis) of sailors who had served in the Ravenna

Ravenna

Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...

's fleet was found in some ruins here or hereabouts. Near Fonni, too, are several menhir

Menhir

A menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top...

s (called pietre celtiche in the district) and other prehistoric remains like nuraghe

Nuraghe

The nuraghe is the main type of ancient megalithic edifice found in Sardinia. Today it has come to be the symbol of Sardinia and its distinctive culture, the Nuragic civilization...

s.

Costumes

The local costumes are extremely picturesque, and are well seen on the day of St John the Baptist, the patron saint. The men's costume is similar to that worn in the district generally; the linen trousers are long and black gaiters are worn. The women wear a white chemise; over that a very small corselet, and over that a red jacket with blue and black velvet facings. The skirt is brown above and red below, with a blue band between the two colours; it is accordion-pleated. Two identical skirts are often worn, one above the other. The unmarried girls wear white kerchiefs, the married women black.

Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods in Fonni are called "Rioni" of these the oldes is called "su piggiu" or the skin, probably derived by the fact this is the highest and first layer of the village. Others include "puppuai" and "cresiedda" to the south, "logotza" to the east.