San Vero Congius
A brief presentation of San Vero Congius
San Vero Congius is a village located in the province of Oristano and is part of the municipality of Simaxis. With a population of around 100 inhabitants, the village has a very ancient history and was an autonomous municipality until 1928. Nowadays, it hosts several points of historical and cultural interest, as well as local traditions which are still strongly felt by the community.
History of San Vero Congius
The name of San Vero Congius derives from the Latin Sanctus Theodorus, which in Italian has been translated erroneously as "San Vero". The area was inhabited already during the Nuragic era, as demonstrated by the presence of a "nuraghe" on its territory.
During the Middle Ages, San Vero Congius belonged to the Giudicato of Arborea and was part of the "curatoria" of Simaxis. After the fall of the Giudicato in 1410, it became part of the Marchesato of Oristano and later of the domain of the Aragonese.
In 1767, it was incorporated into the Marchesato d'Arcais, a fief of the Nurra family. The village became a fraction of Simaxis in 1928 and was moved to Salto di Sant'Elena along the 388 state road of the Tirso and Mandrolisai during the fascist period, due to a flood of the Tirso river which destroyed most of the old town.
Monuments and places of interest in San Vero Congius
Despite its ancient history, the old town of San Vero Congius has only the remains of two churches: the parish church dedicated to San Niccolò di Mira and the Byzantine chapel of San Teodoro, both interesting from an architectural point of view.
Although the church dedicated to San Niccolò is in ruins, it remains a beautiful and evocative place of the village, while the chapel of San Teodoro appears to be well preserved.
The Society of San Vero Congius
The traditions and folklore of San Vero Congius are still very present in the local community. In particular, the festival celebrated on May 31st dedicated to Maria, mother of Jesus, called "Sa Bìsita", is very important. During this festival, children are blessed and the village hosts a pilgrimage from neighboring municipalities of Zerfaliu, Simaxis and Ollastra. The festival of San Nicola, patron saint of children, is instead celebrated on December 6th.
Future projects for San Vero Congius
Despite being a fraction of the municipality of Simaxis, San Vero Congius remains a small, characteristic and charming village. In order to preserve and enhance the culture and tradition of the local community, the village could consider organizing cultural and tourist events.
Moreover, it could be interesting to aim for the rediscovery and restoration of old buildings and monuments in the village, in order to create a wider and more interesting tourist offer. San Vero Congius possesses a historical and cultural value that must be preserved and enhanced for future generations.
