At the first barrage on the Flumendosa, the river with the greatest flow in Sardinia, there is a large lake with blue reflections, surrounded by archaeological heritage, ‘ghost’ villages and breathtaking landscapes. Bau Muggeris was originally the name of a gorge, where, according to tradition, the muggeris, i.e. the women of the village of Villagrande Strisaili – in whose territory the reservoir falls – used to go to wash their domestic clothes.
Today, it is the name of a dam, which was built, and of the reservoir that was created between 1928 and 1949. The first construction plans date back to 1915, but shortly after work began, there was a sudden stop, due to the diversion of funds to coal mining in Sulcis. Towards the valley, three power plants were built, exactly at the ‘jumps’ of the river, which could produce, at full capacity, up to 130 million kilowatt-hours, equal to about one third of the electricity produced in the entire peninsula in the mid-20th century.
Next to the first ‘jump’ power station, the Enel village was also built: in addition to accommodation for the workers, it was equipped with a school, shop, warehouses and a children’s colony. It was abandoned in the early 2000s, following the gradual automation of the power station, and today it is a ghost village, where vegetation has regained the upper hand and flocks occasionally venture out to graze […].
A short distance from the Enel village you can also admire the remains of the nuraghe su Chiai and the Giants’ tomb of sa Conca ‘e Pira Onne.
Source: Sardegna Turismo.
The photos of the nuraghe Su Chiai are by Andrea Mura-Nuragando Sardegna. Those of the giants’ tomb Sa Conca ‘e |Pira Onne or Padru su Chiai are by Nicola Castangia, Maurizio Cossu and Sergio Melis.
