Page 556 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

554  SOUTHERN IT AL Y

who have never experienced Cala Sisine. The famous Grotta
the hand of any overlord, del Bue Marino, adorned with
so impenetrable are the weird rock formations, can only
Gennargentu mountains. be reached by boat.
This region was known to the
Romans as Barbaria, an area Environs
they were never able to sub- To the south, the villages of
due. Traces of the traditional Urzulei, Baunei and Santa Maria
lawlessness of the Barbagia can Navarrese, along the spectacular
be seen in Orgosolo, with its SS125 road to Tortolì, feature
wall murals calling for Sardinia’s breathtaking landscapes.
independence. Rival clans were
locked in bloody vendetta for
almost 50 years, and the deeds
of native bandits form part of
local folklore.
Nobel Prize-winning novelist Grazia In Mamoiada’s Feast of the
Deledda from Nuoro Mamuthones, men in sinister
masks and traditional costume
5 Nuoro perform a ritual dance ending
with a symbolic “killing” of a
* 38,000. V @ n Piazza d’Italia
19 (0784 300 83). ( Fri & Sat. _ 29 scapegoat. The fervour of the
Aug: Sagra del Redentore. event is indicative of the fierce
∑ comune.nuoro.it folkloric tradition and deep
resistance to change.
This town, in a spectacular
setting beneath Monte Ortobene E Museo Etnografico Sardo
and the dramatic Supramonte, Via Mereu 56. Tel 0784 25 70 35. Open
was the home of Grazia Deledda, 10am–1pm, 3–8pm Tue–Sun (Oct–Mar: Ruins of Tharros near Oristano
who won the Nobel Prize for to 7pm). & 7 ∑ isresardegna.it
Literature in 1926 for her portrayal 7 Oristano
of the power and passions in the Cagliari. * 32,000. V @ n EPT,
primitive communities around 6 Cala Gonone Piazza Eleonora 1 (0783 79 13 06); Pro
her. A comprehensive collection Nuoro. * 800. @ n Pro Loco, via Loco, Via Vittorio Emanuele 8 (0783
of ethnic items, such as Lamormara 108, Dorgali (0784 962 43). 706 21). ( Tue & Fri.
traditional Sardinian costumes ( daily. 4 from Dorgali to grottoes
and jewellery, can be seen in the (Apr–mid-Oct). Tel 0784 933 05. The province of Oristano
excellent Museo Etnografico corresponds roughly with
Sardo. Attending the Sagra del East of Nuoro, between the sea historical Arborea, over which
Redentore festival is the best and the mountains, is the hamlet Eleonora ruled (see opposite).
way to witness the region’s of Cala Gonone – a bustling She is commemorated by an
dancing and dialects. seaside resort and fishing port, 18th-century statue in Piazza
with magnificent beaches. Along Eleonora. On Corso Vittorio
Environs the unspoiled coast are the Emanuele is the 16th-century
Nuoro is on the edge of the isolated coves of Cala Luna, Casa di Eleonora, and nearby
Barbagia region, which has linked with Cala Gonone by a the Antiquarium Arborense,
isolated villages of shepherds well-marked 2-hour trail, and which has Neolithic, nuraghic,
Punic and Roman artifacts. The
Torre di San Cristoforo (1291)
in Piazza Roma once formed
part of Oristano’s fortifications.
The Duomo (13th century) was
later rebuilt in the Baroque style.
More interesting are the churches
of Santa Chiara (1343) on
Via Garibaldi and 14th-century
San Martino on Via Cagliari.

Environs
The 12th-century Pisan-
Romanesque Cathedral at Santa
Giusta has columns probably
taken from Tharros, an 8th-
Entrance to the Grotta del Bue Marino, south of Cala Gonone century-BC Punic settlement,
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp576–7 and pp600–605

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2)
Date 14th November 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm