Panorama Photo

At the beginning of the XX century Buggerru was famous for its mines, belonging to the French Societé des Mines Malfidano. At the time it was so populated, and also had such a cultural life, to be called locally "the little Paris". The most outstanding name in town was that of Achille Georgiades, who came from Costantinople to be the director of the mining society. Unfortunately, it submitted the workers to such hard conditions that in 1904 they refused to work: as a consequence, the society called the army who fired on the workers killing three of them. This happening became famous since it originated the first general strike ever in Italy.
Now Buggerru is mainly a place for tourists interested in mining archaeology. You visit the Henry tunnel, hosting the little railway which transported the material from the mines of Planu Sartu. The tunnel is carved inside the vertical wall over the sea, with extremely scenic openings. In December I found the tunnel completely closed, and I had to enter it secretly from the side of Planu Sartu.
The mighty Scogliera di Planu Sartu is very popular among climbers, with many routes opened mainly by Maurizio Oviglia, a major Sardinian climber. He was also the first to climb the 44 m high Faraglione di Buggerru. Let me quote the start of the route description:
«Land (calm sea is mandatory) at the beginning of the W edge, and tackle an overhang of cutting rock (VI, if you fall, you fall into the water)...»
(Maurizio Oviglia, Sardegna, Guida dei Monti d'Italia CAI-TCI)
Although appreciating the Faraglione di Buggerru, scenically I consider it only a horse d'oeuvre for what is for me the most beautiful Faraglione in Italy, namely, the Pan di Zucchero (www.panoramio.com/photo/120797180) few kilometers south. Its height is 133 m and, as for climbing, it has attracted even the attention of Alessandro Gogna, the outstanding climber who opened the Zmuttnase-route on the Matterhorn, and was also with Messner at K2. Mountains which are respectively 34 and 65 times the Faraglione as for height but... as for beauty, I think that the contest is wide open!