Medusaclimb

Work in progress

donatella.arzedi — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 15:17:07 +0000

I suggest to use this thread to exchange ideas about how to work on our website.

Articles & Authors:

Photogallery on technical aspects (Ester&Maride) – Oral test: climbing as a sport (descriprio, aims, different styles)

Flora & fauna (Caterina & Giulia S.) – Oral test: flora and fauna

Useful information (Giulia C. &Anna) Oral test: The area

Traditions & Festivals + arts and craft (Chiara & Alice) Oral test

Giudicato d’arborea (Sara, Vanessa M. & Matteo)

About us (Tamara & Stefano) – The project

Medusa (origins, legends) (Vanessa B. & Valentina)

Climbing technical aspects

anna.tassara — Sun, 23 May 2010 11:08:37 +0000

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Climbing is a formal, competitive sport of recent origins, normally practiced on artificial walls that resemble natural rock formations. The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) is the official organization governing competition climbing worldwide and is recognized by the IOC and GAISF and is a member of the International World Games Association (IWGA). Competition Climbing has three major disciplines: Lead, Bouldering and Speed.

Climbing activities include:

Buildering: climbing urban structures – usually without equipment – avoiding normal means of ascent like stairs and elevators. Aspects of buildering can be seen in the art of movement known as Parkour.
Canyoning: climbing along canyons for sport or recreation.
Chalk climbing: cliffs of chalk may (with difficulty) be climbed using some of the same techniques as ice climbing
Ice climbing: ascending ice or hard snow formations using special equipment designed for the purpose, usually ice axes and crampons. Techniques of protecting the climber are similar to those of rock climbing, although the protective devices themselves are different (ice screws, snow wedges).
Mountain climbing (Mountaineering): ascending mountains for sport or recreation. It often involves rock and/or ice climbing.
Net climbing: climbing net structures. The climbing structures consist of multiple interconnected steel reinforced ropes attached to the ground and steel poles. Climbing nets are usually installed on playgrounds to assist children in developing their balancing and climbing skills.
Pole climbing (gymnastic): climbing poles and masts without equipment.
Pole climbing (lumberjack): lumberjack tree-trimming and competitive tree-trunk or pole climbing for speed using spikes and belts.
Rock climbing: ascending rock formations, often using climbing shoes and a chalk bag. Equipment such as ropes, bolts, nuts, hexes and camming devices are normally employed, either as a safeguard or for artificial aid.
Rope climbing: climbing a short, thick rope for speed. Not to be confused with roped climbing, as in rock or ice climbing.
Tree climbing: ascending trees without the intention of harming them, using ropes and other equipment. This is a less competitive activity than rock climbing.

For the equipment needed for rock or wall climbing visit our website http://www.magicroce.it/doc/content/images/file/864_865_climbing_at_school_prodottofinale.pdf

Information about the place/area

anna.trogu — Sat, 22 May 2010 11:05:07 +0000

Geographical information
Flora and Fauna
River

Medusa castle

francesco.mancosu — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:06:14 +0000

The history

The history of Medusa Castle is shrouded in mystery and has arrived to us through many legends. We know that the castle belonged to the Giudicato of Arborea, one of the four sovereign states formed in Sardinia after the dissolution of the Byzantine Empire. Giudicato d’Arborea was in the central part of Sardinia, from the gulf of Oristano to the Gennargentu mountains, in the valley of the river Tirso. Eleonora d’Arborea, princess and judge, promulgated the “Carta de Logu” at the end of XIV century. She ruled the Giudicato d’Arborea for the old Sardinian law that granted access tothe throne to the women. Eleonora is remembered as a symbol of independence. Her code is one of the first examples of constitutional and legal code. But for a big debt Pietro the First had to give Medusa castle to the Genovese. Pietro was also required to maintain the castle and seven guards (XIV century).

the map of Giudicato d’Arborea Eleonora D’arborea Eleonora D’Arborea and the Carta De Logu

The legends

The name of Medusa Castle arouses curiosity.In Greek mythology Medusa was a Gorgon,a female terrifying monster.The greek word gorgon means “dreadful”. But Medusa was originally a beautiful girl,priestess in Athena’s temple.When the “lord of the Sea” poseidon raped her in Athena’s temple, the enraged Athena transformed Medusa’s beautiful hair to serpent and made her face so terrible to watch that the sight of it would turn onlookers to stone.

In most versions of the Greek legend,while Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon,god of the sea,she was beheaded by the hero Perseus.With help from Athena and Hermes,who supplied him winged sandals,Hades’ cap of invisibility,a sword,and a mirrored shield,he accomplished his quest.

The hero slew Medusa by looking at her harmless reflection in the mirror instead of directly at her to prevent being turned into stone.

When the hero cut Medusa’s head from her neck,an offspring sprang forth: the winged horse Pegasus.

The hero killed Medusa by looking at her harmless reflection in the mirror instead of directlv at her to prevent being turned into stone.

This is the ancient story. Now it can be good to tell the story of Perseu. He was sentenced to seven years in prison for theft. While serving the sentence, Perseu said he was entered in the dungeons of the Medusa’s Castle because it was on the run, and he found a treasure. He asked the Minister to return to the castle to show where the treasure was hidden, in exchange of his freedom. The Ministry seems to have believed the story, but Perseu could not find his treasure and complained that the path had been changed. The Ministry made him return to prison, convinced that Perseu had invented the story.



Nowadays this castle is surrounded by wild nature and it is still considered a door of another world.

A legend of 253 A.D. tells that the name of the castle cames from the name of the daughter of the king of Sardinia, Forco. Princess Medusa, that was her name, inherited the kingdom and ruled it for 28 years, untill her death by the hand of Perseus. Our Sardinian Medusa was the most beautiful girl of the island. She war very intelligent, she was a warrior and a wichtcraft. The same image of the Greek Medusa which fell in love with the God of the sea, Poseidon. Their love desecrated the temple of Minerva, making the Goddess angry. The furious goddess turned Medusa into the Gorgon that we know.

According to the Sardinian legend, the Greek king Dariu landed in Sardinia to conquer the island.

He promised his soldiers he would have given his life in case of defeat. Sardinians proved strong, so that one cut the nose to the king. The troops of Dariu were defeated and his soldiers demanded the rispect of the king’s promise. The king was forced to retire with his wife in the Medusa’s Castel, where they remained until death. Shortly before death, Dariu, left the castle to the devils signing the will with his blood.

Legend says that Darius, before he died, also found a treasure that belonged to the demons. They left a force exactly the same as the first one, but containing the Musca Mughedda instead of the treasure. If this creatur were released, would destroy the world.

















ARCHITECTURE OF MEDUSA CASTLE

According to most scholars the castle was built on the model of  ”Byzantine castrum”, a group of tower-houses alongside one another to form a crown fortress whose outer walls are in fact the walls of homes. These castra (sing. Castrum = accampamento) were usually built on hills, on ancient Acropolis or on the coast. They exploited the uneven terraces to elevate housings from the street level. The buildings had few openings looking outside while the interiors were elegant and rational, often enlightened by small courtyards,very tidy without the excesses of luxury.

The main characteristics of Byzantine fortifications were the rational compasslike orientation: all the towers were oriented on north-south or east-west axis. The rooms had an average height of four to five meters and inside they were equipped with sturdy wooden panels to reinforce the outer walls. Ceilings the middle floors were made of wood while the top floor had a vaulted ceiling or dome. The thickness of the walls varied from one to three meters. The shapes of buildings varied : square, axis , rectangular, polygonal, circular, Greek cross, with a barrel vault, dome pattern , depending on the means and materials available.



THE CASTLE NOWADAYS

The remains of the fortifications are surrounded by wild nature. Nowadays there are only part of the walls, which enclosed an area of about 540 square meters, a tank, and the ruins of two towers.

Flora & Fauna

donatella.arzedi — Tue, 04 May 2010 11:11:27 +0000

The native vegetation of the area consists of mastic, oak, olive and spurge with the presence of wild carnations.

Fauna is characterized by the presence of foxes, partridges, jays and wild boars.

On the most inaccessible walls nest pigeons, kestrels and other hawks , and sometimes even the majestic golden eagle can be seen circling over.

The area is characterized by wild and lonely mountains and imposing rock walls . The territory is rich in springs that make it fruitful and lush. The other peculiarity of the territory is the presence of a large number of caves that are worth to be visited. Among them we remember the one close to the Castle of Medusa, the striking “keyhole” with the characteristic hourglass shape.

Mastic (Pistacia lentiscus) is an evergreen shrub or small tree of the Pistaccio genus growing up to 4 m which is cultiveted for its aromatic resin. In the Mediterranean area it grows wild

Oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Qercus,of which about 600 species exist on earth.

Olive is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin, as well as northern Iran and south end of Caspian Sea.

Traditions and Festival

marta.demurtas — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:17:12 +0000

Samugheo a village strongly tied to its traditions,remained almost intact for its long geographical isolation.
very impressive celebrations in honor of the saints venerated by samughesi as:

S.Antonio (17th Jenuary) and S.Sebastiano (20 th Jenuary), are celebrated with big fires.

S.Isidoro (celebreted on every second Sunday of May),is celebrated in the morning with a procession leading to the country church of Basil’s,this is prceded by tractors decorated for the occasion,each with a different theme reminiscent of old trades carried out in the country in the countryside.

S.Costantino (7th July), is celebrated with Ardia (a ritual horse race around the church of St.Basil)

S.Basilio (1st September),is celebrated with a procession with the statue of transport through the streets of the country and a race involving riders also come from nearby village

S.Maria (8th september) is celebrated in a country church (Chiesa Grande di Santa Maria di Abbasassa) with a procession starting from S.Sebastian church in the village

From 9 August to 10 September, the town becomes a destination for thousands of tourists for the opening of the Craft Show, which displays local products manufactured iron, wood and popular fabrics.
Festival in October last year is that of bread, which recalls the ancient techniques of baking with tasting.
-Carnevale di Samugheo

Carnival Samugheo is characteristic for its masks and its ancient traditions and is very sensitive and participatory citizenship. The group of traditional masks is called the Mamutzones e s’ Urtzu. The Mamutzones de Samugheo are part of the rich and original repertoire carnival of the hinterland, where the cult of tradition is still alive.
They wearing shoes from the country, velvet trousers and a goat-skin and have the bells in the back, on the head they have a container of cork covered with skin and horns of goats (su Casiddu). S’ Urtzu wears a goat skin and has a single bell, while the head has a container in cork with a head and skin of a goat. The Mamutzones are those that retain most features from which they originate at one time represented the passion and death of Dionysus, god of vegetation, whose feast is celebrated in almost all the ancient agrarian societies.
Dionysus, the god who died and was reborn every year, like vegetation, is the form of zoomorphic “S’Urtzu”
Masks “Mamutzones” rather represent the followers of Dionysus. They dress in skins and hides her face with a hat of cork fitted with genuine horn goat or veal

Bread

valerie.altamore — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:43:02 +0000

Samugheo has various traditions associated with bread, which varies accordiAlways in Samugheo bread is homemade. The ancient peasants during the grinding of wheat flour, divided into several types: there was the largest and finest. They could not afford to lose any type that any flour to a different type of bread. The bread produced in Samugheo varies as we have said from the different type of flour; among all types there is “sa farrighinjiada” (an elongated loaf with a hole in the Center), produced more frequently during the winter; “sa cutter or pistoccu” (a roundish shaped Esplanade) produced throughout the year, with the only difference being that in winter it is bigger, while in summer the pastry is more subtle; “su tzicchi” (it varies depending on the feast day: during the period of Easter eggs were decorated with; for weddings, and other important celebrations, it is decorated with birds or small pasta; also for Palm Sunday was made in the form of a braid with a row of peanuts above); There is also “sa coccoa cun bedra” (this is done in the period in which he was killed a pig, because this bread is required lard of the pig); There is a variant of “sa coccoa cun bedra”, in fact, it sometimes stuffed with ricotta cheese or raisins. A few years in Samugheo between summer festivals is the sagra del pane where people, even other countries, enjoying and appreciating the bread of Samugheo.ng on the holiday and the type of flour used.
“SA FARRIGHINJIADA”: an elongated loaf with a hole in the center produced during the winter. It is usually cut in two halves, tosted and sprinkled with a dash of new oil.
” SA FRESA or PISTOCCU “: round and flat, it is produced throughout the year, with the only difference that it is larger in winter and thinner in summer.
” SU TZICCHI “: its shape depens on the feast. During the Passover it is decorated with eggs and is called ” sa cocoa e angulla”; for weddings and other important festivals it is decorated with birds and flowers of dough and it is called “s’orroda e s’isposa”; on Palm Sunday it is made in the form of a braid with a row of nuts and it is called “sa triccia”.
“SA COCOA CUN BEDRA or COCOJEDRA”: it is made with pork cracklings, for this reason it is usually prepared in winter when pigs killed. Sometimes it is stuffed with raisins or ricotta cheese.
“SA COCOA FRISCIA”: it is prepared with pieces of dough and fried in oil. It is usually eaten with salt or honey if it is prepared as a sweet.

Useful information

federica.ferralis — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 11:05:06 +0000

how to get there: ask Prof. Canu.

Where it is:

Map of Sardinia

The image of giudicato di Arborea

It occupied the central-west portion of the island, wedged between Logudoro to the north and east, Cagliari to the south and east, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west.

http://maps.google.it/maps?hl=it&q=samugheo&biw=1276&bih=800&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=il

Map

map

http://www.comuni-italiani.it/095/045/mappa.html