The question we all ask ourselves is: can a waterfall be described through poetry?
The answer is yes, and this has been demonstrated by none other than the renowned poet and writer Gabriele D’Annunzio. In 1882, during a visit to this area, he published a sonnet dedicated to the enchanting atmosphere graciously offered by the waterfall of Villacidro.
"The rocks, thick with celandines and thorny bushes, rise before the eyes like a strange army of petrified athletes, frozen by enchantment. Beneath them, in the wind, vast wild myrtle groves and swaying oleanders tremble like a small, green, irregular crowd. Further down, along the riverbeds, the waters of the Spendula flow, with their constant and powerful roar.
Above, the sky remains grey and uniform. The dampness of the rain blends with the sharp scents of thyme and myrtle rising from the ground. In the green hollow, the shepherd stands motionless like a bronze figure, leaning against the limestone, wrapped in his cloak, observing the landscape without moving."
This is a paraphrase of the work by the Abruzzese artist, who, struck by the scenic beauty of Sa Spendula, immortalized its charm with a cascade of words that effectively convey the full evocative power of the place, leaving a literary testimony to posterity that transforms the landscape into a living image, where nature and language intertwine with extraordinary expressive force.
