L’Agnata di De André Tempio Pausania

The Agnata is not only a boutique Hotel. The Agnata is nourishment for the Soul. Caring for the Spirit. Where time stands still.

L’Agnata is natural music for the ears. A hymn to the perfection of nature. Love, Passion, Sunset and Sunrise. The Agnata is a hospitable house. It’s a hidden Gem to discover. Where the present moment becomes peaceful. It is a piece of Paradise.

Situated in the inland of Gallura, protected by green soft Hills and surrounded by unspoilt nature, the Hotel is a little embracing masterpiece. The essence of the place is given away by the name: Agnata in Gallura means “hidden corner” sheltered from the wind.

Originally an old manor house with a typical sheepfold, became in the mid 70-‘s home of famous Italian singer/ songwriter/ Poet De Andre, who lived here with he’s girlfriend and future wife Dori Ghezzi .

Still to this day, reminiscent of his past, every angle of L ‘Agnata emanates a poetic feeling, starting with the lively pergola that forms the entrance.

By Sunset, illuminated by the warm candle light, the pergola makes a bridge through the noises of life and forms a space of pastoral peace, made of perfumes and colours which change within the four different seasons.

Along this short path, nestled among ancient olive groves, the world feels left behind entering into a small idyllic piece of paradise. The Hotel is divided into two distinguished architectural structures.

The new structure, consist of eight rooms and a separate cosy reading corner with a majestic fireplace that welcomes you at the entrance.

Then, the antique structure can be defined as a real manor house with ground floor restaurant , a veranda overlooking the garden, library, dining room, and on the first floor another two rooms.

Wrapped in a Canadian Style – which the same De Andre planted – the facade is the unmistakable signature of this charming boutique Hotel.

The leafy branches climb beautifully from the ground up until covering the entire surface making it an absolute delight to the eye. It is so that the Agnata changes dress according to the season, bright green in summer and in the thousand shades of red when autumn arrives.

Inside, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. The interior style reigns with the elegance of simplicity with furniture and furnishings of a real comfortable elegant house, breathing love and attention to detail as a style defined as “Arte Povera”.

At the table an invitation awaits to taste new dishes of authentic Sardinian cuisine, marked with freshness, a genuine touch and served with a smile as it per tradition. All around there is a large garden, with geometric floral, soft and always well maintained.

In one corner of the garden there is a beautiful Zen fountain and walking up the hill on a different corner of this structure you can find a picturesque swimming pool that is set like a turquoise stone rock surrounded by thick vegetation and with a view to the spectacular hills.

There’s also an enchanting lake that De Andre commissioned as a reserve of water against summer droughts and fires.

THE HISTORY
It was back in 1975 when famous Italian singer /songwriter/poet Fabrizio de Andre and he’s wife Dori Ghezzi bought the estate.

It was back in 1975 when famous Italian singer /songwriter/poet Fabrizio de Andre and he’s wife Dori Ghezzi bought the estate L’Agnata from with one hundred and fifty acres of mixed woodland, pastures and crops and an old shepherds working farmhouse.

At that time L’Agnata was an abandoned farmhouse made of granite which is typical of the Gallura Region. Dating back to the late nineteenth century and sunk in a forest of evergreen oaks.

After the acquisition, a long period of restructuring began; where the family lived an unforgettable adventure of planning, reconnecting with nature, nights illuminated by candle light, no phone in a rough and abandoned terrain.

The famous singer/songwriter Fabrizio De André was deeply in love with the nature of the landscape of this area, he sat outdoors for long hours to listen to the stream falling down from the river.

From river Caprioneddu (which runs through the estate) De André draws an artificial lake to provide a reserve for the community against summer draughts and fires.

The years spent at L’Agnata deeply marked the life of the singer- songwriter. Also the kidnapping he suffered, adds to the already established connection to the people and life of Sardinia, inspiring even more countless songs and poems.

Since the nineties L’Agnata opens hospitality: “we wanted to share with others this corner of paradise” said Dori Ghezzi wife of Fabrizio De André. First a Farm now a stunning boutique Hotel aimed at those who like to travel away from the tourist mass and experienced the beauty of unspoilt nature.

THE ROOMS
The rooms in L’Agnata are named after plants and flowers loved by De Andre and Dori Ghezzi. Each room is different from the other, with its own soul and personality. The commonality that all rooms share is a style defined as “Arte Povera “along with comfort and the attention to detail.

During the day, the rooms are illuminated by the warm light of Sardinia’s splendid sun and by night they become silent microcosms with a feel of tranquil freedom.

Divided into two architectural structures that make up the hotel, eight of them are situated in the new building with a separate reading room at the entrance of the building plus a warming fire place.

Another two bedrooms are situated in the old Manor house, on the second floor with a beautiful balcony which offers a wonderful view and a bath. The bedrooms are all equal in size except of one quadruple and three triple rooms where an additional bed could be added for children , they differ in sized.

FABER’S
Faber’s the most sought after room of L’agnata , the room where songwriter De Andre spent most of he’s nights. It is situated on the first floor of the first Manor house with the charming and emotional feel of the place.

With a distinctive balcony overlooking the garden you can observe the moon in the evenings which illuminates the wooded surrounded area.

The warm fittings and furnishings and the references to rural traditional Sardinia in the interior, create a fascinating ambience of grace and simplicity, where nothing is artificial and opulence is banned.

Even in this corner of paradise, far away from the contemporary noises of life, there’s room for comfort such as air conditioning, TV, minibar, safe and a bathroom with tub /shower.

We recommend to book this room to the lovers of De André and to those who love to stay in a room of historical value. Please note that everything has remained original, as it has been created in 70s. Tor those who prefer more comfort, we recommend to book a “Comfort” room.

DORI’S
This is the room where Dori Ghezzi wife of the singer, who lived here during the years with her beloved De Andre. Ample space warm colours and unique pieces decorate the interior, and the elegance of simplicity plus a classic warm feeling defines this room.

The furniture and fittings are as the couple wanted them; they resemble the rural houses of the land on which it stands. There’s also a bath where one can relax peacefully. The amenities include: minibar, telephone, TV, air conditioning and safe.

The terrace overlooking the garden is framed with creeper that covers the front of the Hotel. Looking at the world from here on a spring day is like a romance for the eyes with perfect natural timeless harmonies of beautiful colours and scents.

RESTAURANT
To live a memorable travel experience in a location like the Agnata, taste cannot be ignored. Tradition breathes in every angle at L’Agnata di De André, therefore the management pays much attention to what will be served on the table.

The Restaurant offers dishes of true Sardinian cuisine. Sardinian cuisine is devoted to simplicity and genuineness using basic raw materials carefully selected from small local producers.

From the Hearty and rich Breakfast, which is included in the price, to a light lunch in the veranda or a romantic dinner in front of a bottle of wine everything in the name of freshness and true taste of very sincere & warm hospitality.

The Restaurant is located in the Manor house and has a capacity of 50 seats. Nonetheless in the warmer months there is a choice of outdoor sitting options taking advantage of the idyllic views & surroundings, where you can enjoy a tasty meal under a wonderful sky, protected under the cool shade of a weeping willow.

Our half board treatment for the hotel guest: dinner starts at 8 p.m. and is preceded by a welcome aperitif at 7.30 p.m.

We offer the half board treatment for dinner with a set menu, composed by four courses (1 appetizer, 1 first course, main course and dessert), that changes every day, according to the products availability and it is customized on your stay in our hotel.

So it can happens to taste some dishes which are different from those of the other guests. Furthermore, we inform you that we cook only meat, and we do not cook fish, and the menu is based on traditional Sardinian dishes, especially from Gallura. On request (and by reservation) we could prepare simple vegetarian dishes.

SWIMMING POOL
In the heart of the garden there is a unique swimming pool, conceived and designed by Fabrizio De André, set like a turquoise stone between rocks and thick vegetation.

Its sinuous shape is reminiscent of a blue brush stroke on a green painted canvas. Even if this corner is the result of a refined design solution, with lighting system and large erratic boulders in pink granite, positioned one by one to create the right setting, you can breathe a poetic and primordial atmosphere at the same time.

Of archaic suggestions. In summer a dip is regeneration, life-giving refreshment. And diving while the gaze is lost on the borders between immaculate sky and earth, dominated by the flight of distant birds of prey, is priceless. Difficult to live elsewhere.

THE GARDEN
So Fabrizio De André wanted it with the passionate complicity of Dori Ghezzi. The romantic pergola, the trees, plants and flowers, the study of the spaces, the Zen fountain, are a hymn to the earth. The result of an inspired care and a deep love, which can still be breathed today and offer glimpses of poetic beauty at every step.

We are in the green and pulsating heart of the 150 hectares of the estate. A luxuriant oasis with poetic floral geometries meticulously designed by Fabrizio De André who at l’Agnata found himself fervent and passionate gardener.

The garden is a triumph of vegetation, a hymn to the beauty of nature, its colors and its scents, among pendulous birches and almond trees, lemons and asphodels, cork and gorse. Figs and camellias.

It was he who covered the facade of the farmhouse with the characteristic Canadian vine, inspired by the memories of childhood and the grandmother’s house in Piedmont. He also cultivated the vegetable garden bordering the garden and designed the splendid pergola that today serves as the entrance to the hotel.

The music of this garden is the rustle of the trees shaken by the mistral. It is the bubbling of water in the Zen fountain, obtained from an ancient goat drinking trough.

It is the sound of the streams that flow behind the house and flow into the lake a few steps away, embraced by the forest of holm oaks and cork trees. Timeless music accessible to anyone with ears to listen to it. We talk about the garden, but maybe we could venture to call it … Eden.

MOUNTAIN BIKE
L’Agnata di De André boutique hotel invites mountain bikers to take enchanting itineraries to discover the charm of the Gallura hinterland. Take advantage of the experience of our guides and the best performing E-bikes on the market (min 1 – max 7 people).

NORDIC WALKING
Excursions and routes for Nordic walking lovers in an unspoiled area of ​​unparalleled beauty. Trekking excursion from Saltàra to Conca Abalta (15Km)

L’Agnata di De André invites trekking lovers to take this enchanting itinerary to discover the charm of the Gallura hinterland, in the deep north of the island. A long excursion of fifteen kilometers between stazzi and stone walls, in the places that Giuseppe Garibaldi loved so much.

In fact, from Saltàra, through the adjoining Sarra Pauloni, passed the ancient road now disappeared, immersed as it is in the thick scrub, which connected Santa Teresa with Luogosanto and Aglientu.

On that road in December 1855 Giuseppe Garibaldi arrived on horseback, accompanied in Saltàra by Count Pes (general steward of Sardinia) and by the Maddalenini brothers Francesco and Pietro Susini, who brought him to know the wild surroundings of Capo Testa, in the territory of Santa Teresa di Gallura.

During a hunting trip the General was struck by the beauty of some lands and decided to buy them on the spot. He negotiated the price with the owner, the shepherd Pietro Pilosu, who however did not want to sell them.

A few days later, knowing that his interlocutor was Garibaldi, he was so embittered that he told the Susini that he was ready not to sell them, but to give them away for free. However, interest in Capo Testa had now faded.

Today in these historic places the forest reigns supreme, and in order to cross this rugged territory in trekking you must treasure some traces of cattle and the signs of the brushcutters of the breeders, determined to reconquer the pastures.

LOCATION
We are in the mountainous heart of Gallura, at the foot of MountLimbara and at a short distance from Tempio. The area is located inland of north of Sardinia, dominated by large wooded spots, dotted with pastures and slopes surmounted by granite rocks.

Unlike many other hilly areas of this part of the island, now transformed and altered by Human presence, the natural environment that welcomes the Agnata is still extremely rich, diverse and largely intact.

An extraordinary numerous diversity of plant and animal species are born and grow spontaneously here, thanks to the numerous sources of natural mineral waters, in an area that still preserves its unspoiled natural beauty.

From the top of the Hill named “Limbara”, at 1300 meters above sea level, you can gaze at the surrounding area, from the famous Costa Esmeralda to the white coast of Corsica.

Here in a flat close in the green embrace of cork oaks stands the Agnata. A small masterpiece perfectly integrated into the landscape, a magical and cosy retreat where silence & natural beauty reigns.

Just 10 km from the Hotel, along a road with typical sheepfolds and dry stone walls, through the places who Giuseppe Garibaldi loved, you will reach Tempio a very ancient city in the slopes of MountLimbara.

The Charming old town is ideal to break from the tranquillity of the Hotel for an afternoon or evening of social life, shopping and a cultural experience including folklore, traditions food & wine.

For a dip in the sea at half an hour’s drive you can reach Olbia a costal lively city and or the many attractions of the well-known and precious “ Costa Esmeralda “ which translates into “SmaragdCoast” due to is vibrant distinguished turquoise colours.

Sea Lovers can not miss a visit to “Portobello” , “ Costa Paradiso “ , “ S. Teresa Capo Testa “ and “The Valley of the Moon “ . There are countless possibilities to explore the area through green routes and paths, to be experienced either by walking with outputs of trekking, Nordic walking or bicycle/mountain biking .

The Agnata promotes and supports the Gallura region through excursions to Limbara Hill in the area of Valliciola. There’s also a Butterfly garden to visit nearby some archaeological sites such as “Nuraghe Majiore” – Nurghe are prehistoric tower like stone structures found in Sardinia dating from the second millennium b.c.to the Roman conquest.

Rooms: 10

Price: from 203 EUR per night

Source: www.agnata.com