Mar 'e Pontis Museum

Mar 'e Pontis Museum

Ultima modifica 13 settembre 2024

The museum is located inside the Peschiera Mar 'e Pontis and contains the story of the history, tradition and culture of a fishery of great historical value and strong tourist attraction.

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Audio guides

Historical background on Mar ‘e Pontis ponds

Pasraxius

Tzaracus de pischera

Sciaigoteris

Poigeris

Bogheris

Paramitaius

The revolt

Mar 'e Pontis

Mar ‘e Pontis

Truly extended is the Mar’ e Pontis pond, a real sea, as it has always been called by the locals because of its greatness.
Mar ‘e Pontis, with its brackish waters, ready to take on sudden and different shades of color according to the moods of the sky, over the centuries and millennia, has certainly changed several times in appearance both hydrographically and morphologically and today occupies about a-fifth of the territory of Cabras, vast over 102 square kilometers. It should not be forgotten, however, that part of the vast northern basin of the lagoon belongs administratively to the municipality of Riola Sardo.
Drawing an imaginary line delimiting its boundaries, one could start from “Punta su Meriagu” to the west, at the foot of the Sinis hill, to arrive at “Punta 'e colletu” to the east of the fish compendium, where a long stretch of peristagnal road marks its limits with the municipality of Nurachi.
All it takes is a little imagination, and the Mare 'e Pontis pond, probably better known as the Cabras pond, seen from above resembles a duck with its beak pointing toward the Gulf of Oristano, and the Gulf of Oristano, which faces the Sardinian Sea, is a key life-giving feature of its waters.
A dense network of canals connects Mar ‘e Pontis with the gulf, and this has always contributed, through the alternation of high and low tide flows, to regulate its water oxygenation processes, guaranteeing the abundance and goodness of fish products. Rio Mare 'e Foghe, north of the pond, also assumes a role of fundamental importance in protecting its biodiversity, serving as a veritable umbilical cord between the waters of the pond itself and the entire Montiferru catchment area.
The pond of “Mar ‘e Pontis” has always been very fishy, even mentioned by authoritative Latin sources. And it is no coincidence that the presence of very ancient archaeological sites, dating back to the Neolithic period, such as those of “Cucuru is arrius”, “Conca Illonis,” and almost certainly others waiting to be unearthed, attest to the anthropic presence in the area in the faraway past and grant that the nearby waters of the pond and the surrounding fertile soils could ensure a rich source of sustenance for the people of that time.
It is undeniable that all those who have passed in this very important region of Sardinia through the millennia have benefited from the presence of this huge water mirror that has changed in shape and extent over time, but always able to offer important food and economic resources.

Nistorical background on Mar ‘e Pontis ponds

The first document which mentions the Pond of Mar ‘e Pontis dates from 1237. It is a writing in which Peter II, judge of Arborea, confirmed the donations made by his parents to the church and monastery of Santa Maria di Bonarcado, conceding the monks the freedom to fish in the pond.
Subsequently, the pond and fishpond passed to the Spanish Crown, and King Ferdinand of Aragon prohibited its cession, alienation and pledge.
On the 6th of July 1652, Philip IV of Castile, in exchange for a generous loan, ceded in anticresis (pledge) to Geronimo Vivaldi, a Genoese banker, the pond of Santa Giusta and Mar'e Pontis with its fishpond, granting him the enjoyment of the fruits, both in repayment of the interest accrued and on account of the capital employed.
On the 26th of June 1838, Charles Albert of Savoy renounced the redemption of the anticresis, and everything the Vivaldi family had received as a pledge became their property. From then on, the pond was contracted out to wealthy citizens of Oristano in exchange for thirty thousand “scudi” (currency of that time) annually to be paid to Marquis Vivaldi-Pasqua.
On the 23rd of July 1853, for one million two hundred twenty-five thousand new liras, the Vivaldi-Pasqua family sold the Mar’e Pontis pond to Sir Salvatore Carta of Oristano.
From that time and until the 1960s, the organization of the complex system of fishing in the lagoon waters had to respond to a feudal-like scheme that would guarantee considerable profits, derived from a hierarchical structuring of tasks and duties, heterogeneously distributed in relation to the importance of the roles held.
Only after Sir Carta's death, both the pond and the fishponds passed to his heirs: the Carta-Pabis, Corrias, Boi and Campus families, who perpetuated the same management system over time.
Following Regional Law No. 39 of 1956, which declared the abolition of feudal rights over inland waters, a path began, not without tensions and moments of confrontation, some of them very heated, thanks to which the Mar'e Pontis Pond, which in the meantime had become regional property, was entrusted to a consortium of fishermen's cooperatives, which still run it today.

Pasraxius

The beating heart, the most important operational center of the entire Cabras fish compendium was “Sa pischera 'e Mar ‘e Pontis”, or “Pischera manna”, where the entire productive process of the lagoon naturally found its proper place.
It was in the fishpond that the profitable cycle of catching the fish product was concluded, which, driven by the natural instinct of reproduction, was intercepted as it attempted to regain the open sea.
And it was in the fishpond that the figure of is pasraxius (fishermen) assumed the inevitable role that belonged to them, after su meri 'e pischera (the master of the fishpond) had deliberately chosen to place the utmost trust in them at the delicate moment of weighing all the catch. And so, it had to be, for it was a task of high responsibility. Certainly, the choice was dictated by the high level of professionalism and acumen of wit of the men chosen. It was is pasraxius who took care, among other things, of the managerial aspects of the sale of the catch; it was they who were responsible for delivering the bills of lading and the proceeds of those sales who took care of all the maintenance of the fishpond or the complete refurbishment of the fishpond; and it was always they who were responsible for organizing all the catching activities in the fishponds and the pond.
No need for comment, these were figures as important as they were irreplaceable who deserved the total respect of all the men, collaborators and families who gravitated around the fishing world and beyond.
There were two is pasraxius de Pontis, who alternated weekly in the performance of their duties, operating now in the fishpond, now in Scaiu, where, in short, the boats landed near the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta, at the conclusion of the vagantive fishing activities in the waters of the pond.
Two other pasraxius, important, but with coprimary roles in hierarchical terms, probable successors to the previous ones, were the coordinators and managers at the same time of the Sa Madrini and Pischeredda fishponds.
In the first one, the flow of entry of juvenile fish into the pond waters was controlled through the supply channels. In the second one, on the other hand, by means of a barrage of reinforcing rods and bracing braces affixed to the seabed, fish were prevented from ascending the waters of the Rio Mare 'e foghe.
Finally, su potaiu, a figure certainly less important than the previous four, but still burdened with the responsibility of Su Potu, a very important area of the pond designated for integral protection, marked by a long row of poles placed at a certain distance from each other, where all fishing activities were forbidden except in special cases. Just another way of stating, if ever there was a need, that in the entire fish compendium nothing was left to chance but was scientifically organized down to the smallest detail.

Tzaracus de pischera

Necessarily following the inescapable hierarchical order of the past, which was the basis of the organization of all fishing activity in the pond, the tzaracus de pischera were placed on a lower rung than the pasraxius.
Tzaracu, in Sardinian, stands for servant, but this should not mislead, because the appellation should not be understood with that negative meaning in lexical terms that we usually attribute to it.
Instead, it should be interpreted as servant man. And, in fact, the six tzaracus, because six were named, were men who were always available to perform without discussion the most varied tasks, convenient to the needs of the fishpond. Therefore, they were chosen in relation to their acquired professional experience and skills, but also in relation to their physical and especially moral integrity. They held different roles weekly, alternating as antzianu de potu, vice antzianu de potu, antzianu de pischera, vice antzianu de pischera, madrinaiu (fishpond attendant of Sa Madrini) and even coxi(n)eri (cook). And each of them tried to distinguish themselves to the utmost in the performance of their duties, partly because the main goal for them was to advance up the hierarchical ladder of the fishpond to become pasraxiu.
The role of tzaracu entailed the observance of very strict regulations, limiting even personal freedom: a true feudal legacy that had been handed down for centuries and was even completed by the renunciation of meeting for long periods of time with one's family, relatives and friends in that inviolable world that was the fishponds.
There were, however, exceptions to that rigid system of rules, and this happened when even for the tzaracus the opportunity arose to approach everyone freely in the vicinity of those almost inaccessible places. It happened particularly on the 22nd of January each year, the day on which St. Vincent was celebrated. On that occasion, the little church of the same name and the whole vast square in front of it, perhaps not coincidentally on this side of the canals that separated the islet of Peschiera Pontis from the rest of the territory, crowded. The intent for everyone was to listen to mass in religious silence and later celebrate, with song and dance, the patron saint of the fishponds. Of course, an exceptional lunch could not be missed, certainly fish-based, offered by the meris de pischera and cooked properly by the tzaracus.
The maintenance works of the fishpond also gave pasraxius, tzaracus and piscadoris the opportunity to have convivial meeting moments at which, sometimes, the top management of Mare 'e Pontis, that is, the owners of the Cabras pond, were present.
The hard, long and strenuous work of replacing damaged rods (sa scarada e s'arrasadura), poles and planking, and the constant, physically demanding manual interventions designed to rid the waterways of the sludge that had accumulated in excess along the canals and inside the work zones, were the main unmissable interventions that had to be carried out, for a fee, to ensure the efficient functioning of the whole structure.
Given the commitment and duration of the interventions, the fishermen called upon to carry out these operations, poigeris and bogheris, could find overnight accommodations in s'omu ecia (the old house), a building constructed specifically for their temporary stay in the fishpond just a short walk from another, far more important structure, su poatziu (the palace), the only building on site that had a raised floor and a terrace from which the entire surrounding area was overlooked.
That was, however, a good opportunity to approach the fishermen directly to the pasraxius and tzaracus; an opportunity to reveal to them, confidentially, some personal business problem, in order to find the most appropriate solution to the case.

Sciaigoteris

This category was desired around the 1920s by Don Peppino Carta, brother of the better known Don Efisio, in recognition of some elderly poigeris who had particularly distinguished themselves, although not to the point of being promoted to tzaracus. These were six elderly fishermen, who enjoyed an advantageous position, since, after the Company's percentage was removed, the proceeds were divided into only six parts. 
The sciaigoteris used a trawl net, sa sciaiga, similar to that used by the poigeris, and a boat, called braca de sa sciaiga, not too different from those of poigeris and bogheris. 
This category disappeared for good in the late 1950s.

Poigeris

Actual wandering fishing in the pond waters was entrusted to two specific categories of fishermen, poigeris and bogheris, who applied for it and were therefore an integral part of the hierarchical organization. The management of the Company (mainly meris and pasraxius) determined whether or not to grant such a request based on “physical, professional and moral requirements”.
Aged no younger than twenty-one or older than seventy, the poigeris (from poigiu, a type of net used for fishing) constituted a group of twenty fishermen who were entitled to fish year-round, subject to annual renewal of their contract with the Company, which granted them two boats of its own, of the type called schifu or braca de poigiu, to use while fishing.
Each of the boats housed ten fishermen, eight of whom occupied the four seats present, while the other two, chosen by the Company, took their places respectively at the stern (su puperi, the boatmaster) and at the bow (su cumandadori, the fishmaster). The second one oversaw the work, supervising the material provided by the Company or reporting on any infractions.
In addition to that in the pond, at the request of the Company and for a daily fee, the poigeris could participate in the removal of fish from the works in the main fishpond, lend their labor, together with the bogheris, during maintenance work in the same and cooperate with the security guards (arrolliadoris) paid by the pond masters and assigned to control the compendium.

Bogheris

The most numerous bogheris (from bogai, to row), aged not less than twenty-one and no more than sixty-five, began fishing in early September and concluded on the following April 30. 
They worked aboard smaller boats than those used by the poigeris, called bracas pranas (flat boats) or bracas de is cullegas. In fact, such boats were subdivided into cullegas, ten groups of four boats that worked in concert using particular types of nets: arretza impillàda a to(n)us and a ùngiua, single-sheet nets, about 30/35 meters long.
From May to August, since they were prohibited from any fishing activity, the bogheris could find employment with boats that fished within the Gulf of Oristano, on the open sea, or earn their living working as agricultural laborers in the Sinis countryside or eventually engage in seafood fishing. 
Both categories were organized into six cooperatives, which were entitled to 60 percent of the catch, the remaining 40 percent being taken and sold daily by the Company.

Paramitaius

At the base of the whole complex feudal-like pyramidal organizational system stood there were paramitaius, who were generally considered the poorest fishermen on the pond, although they too managed, some more, some less, to provide their families with the necessities of life in dignity. They generally fished with su paramitu (longline). This consisted of a very long main line, sa cade(n)a formerly made of cotton, then nylon, often over a kilometer long, to which were tied hundreds of bugais (snoods) with as many hooks (originally made from Christ's thorn and then metal) knotted to them at the end, about a meter apart (mesu passa or u(n)a etada) one from the other, intended for eel fishing. The entire longline, to be used daily, at certain times of the year, was prepared by skilled hands that neatly placed it inside a not very large basket, su cadi(n)eddu, ready to be primed and lowered at dusk or during the early afternoon, sometimes in the middle of the night, into the shallow waters of the pond (mollai paramitu), to be hauled out (srapai paramitu) the next day at sunrise (ponendi tinta). It was not uncommon for generous catches to reward the hard work put in by the fishermen with the cooperation of the entire family. Especially the women: wives, daughters and sisters were active in tidying up the gear. After use, it was indeed necessary to replace lost hooks (cambiai gamus), unravel the line from tangles (stirai su paramitu) or renew it altogether when, worn out, it became unusable. The male children, on the other hand, who were almost always free from other work or rarely school commitments, were preoccupied with finding new bait (earthworms, insect larvae, snails, slugs, shrimps, carp bellies, and quite exceptionally leftover entrails of other animals) to cast into the pond waters.
Sometimes the bait itself was unavailable and became precious. Anxieties and worries therefore rose among the poor fishermen, and then it became necessary to travel long distances, often on foot, in order to get a good supply. Even the territories near the wet gore of Macomer, Sardara, Sanluri, Quartu and Cagliari, where it could be reached by train, were beaten.
Remarkable was the importance of the original boat used by the paramitaius (su fasso(n)i). Each of them owned one, personally made with great skill. This was to affirm their skills in the execution of what could be called an ephemeral work of art. It was made from bundles, hence fasso(n)i, of scirpo (fe(n)u), a marsh plant that once grew abundantly near the pond itself and near the canals. It was harvested and dried at certain times of the year (May-June), which provided the boat with ideal flotation, able to bear the weight of even two people, often father and son, greater water resistance and thus longer life for the boat itself. For eight months of the year, is paramitaius could carry out their activities in the pond. Throughout this period, which started from the first half of September (cabudanni), when all contracts were usually renewed, until April, interruptions were imposed on fishing, although the paramitaius paid an important monetary contribution per year (s'arrendu) in order to be able to carry out their work, with the absolute prohibition of the use of nets. It was precisely for this reason that it became necessary for fishermen to ask directly to su meri 'e pischera, the master of the pond, to obtain an extension of the contractual terms (pragontai porra), which was usually granted until May 24, the day of the patronal feast of Santa Maria Assunta or even until June 13, the day of the festivities of St. Anthony.

The longliners were also given another opportunity to slightly increase, their earnings. They could in fact use spears (abarrudai) to catch a few mullets or less valuable fish such as carp. And to be more likely to succeed they worked in groups (parànta su ballu), they started in a circle to converge toward the center, beat a small section of the pond, almost always near the marsh reeds or near the stony bottoms rich in mercerella (groga), where the fish generally sought shelter and thus could be caught more easily.
After the intense daily work, before the well-deserved rest it became necessary to haul the boat out to dry, and the younger ones then missed no opportunity to help the older ones as a sign of respect. All the fasso(n)is, were lifted and supported with the help of the oars keeping the bow compulsorily facing upward. This was the only way to promote faster drying and prolong their life.

The revolt

Such an organizational system, allowed for efficient management of the sector, but at the same time, kept the country at a standstill, forcing it into heavy immobility, with tzaracus, poigeris, bogheris and sciagoteris siding with the masters, fearful of losing privileges or at any rate the little certain gain, and paramitaius and poaching fishermen, spado(n)adoris or strike-breakers at a later stage, taking the opposite position. The situation began to be less and less tolerated until, Regional Law No. 39 of 1956 declared feudal rights over inland waters abolished. The Cabras fishermen, stung also by the example of their colleagues in Marceddì, who had occupied the waters of their pond, thought of a demonstration action of the same kind. The revolt started from below, from those who had nothing to lose, since those who enjoyed more favorable positions were siding with the bosses. In 1960 the decision was made for the occupation, after an initial unsuccessful attempt that had in any case required a great deal of courage, since people dared to come out into the open, openly challenging meris and tzaracus, at the cost of being repeatedly denounced with res judicata sentences, which provided for most of them many months or years in prison.

The occupation of the pond marked an important stage in the history of the village: for the first time the fishermen, or at least part of them, felt truly united, overcoming individualistic positions and fears.

Always very close and cooperative were the women, who played a pivotal role in the struggle to claim the right to fish for their men.

Only in the early 1980s did the Mare 'e Pontis pond with its fishponds pass definitively into the hands of the Region of Sardinia and be managed by cooperatives of fishermen, who with their courageous actions put an end to the master dominance and the centuries-old pyramidal division.