Ogliastra. Traces of the past.

In today's globalised world, cultural diversityis an asset, a heritage of enormous value.

In this region that is often shrouded inmystery, history and nature intertwinewith tradit ion and magicto revital ise the bri l l iance fromwhich modern l i fe, at t imes, detracts.

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In c

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Osi

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nur

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Ser

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Osi

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Guardians of an ancient civi l isation, thenuraghi are captivating, unchanged over thecourse of t ime. The simple, yet bri l l iant,circular towers, constructed from largeblocks of l imestone or granite, wereconstructed in ancient t imes to defend therugged and oceanic terr itory.Today they reveal the mysteries of a historythat is shrouded in legend.

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The Giants' Tombs, imposing and perfectly al ignedwith the sun, hide the indecipherable secretsof one of the world's most unique cultures;where real ity chal lenges your imagination.

Triei, Tombe dei giganti Osono

Baunei, faccia litica

From the weird and wonderful forms of the pits and cliffs to the saints andtheir noble deeds, here legends are born and handed down throughgenerations. To celebrate liberation from evil serpents and dragons and inpraise and thanks of the patron saint, many festivals take place in whichentire towns participate. Women prepare wonderful, sculpture-like dessertsand the men throw themselves into bold demonstrations of bravery.

The history of this region issteeped in tradit ion, where artand craftsmanship oftenbecome one: weavings, forexample, recount a historywhose memory has faded intothe mists of time. Since ancientt imes, many craftsmen havebeen plying their trade in theworking of raw wool for theproduction of colourful carpetsor the tradit ional and time-honoured bridal trousseaus.

Tertenia, artigianato

Visitors hoping to admire the fruit ofOgliastra’s art and handicraft tradit ionscan sti l l do so today. Many of the oldhouses scattered across the landscapeare home to small ethnographic museumsthat give visitors an introduction toOgliastra's ancient trades and way of life.

Lotz

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, Dom

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Tzi

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Cultural events such as Cortes Apertas recreate the everyday l i fe ofdays gone by, rel iving them through joyous celebration.Ski l ful weavers wear ornate costumes that showcase their talents,adorned with fil igree and precious jewellery; proud velvet-clad craftsmentake us on a journey through the history of handicraft.Here the working of wood, texti les, jewellery, bread, and cakes is seenas not craft, but art.

Tertenia, Cocoi de Ou (pane tipico)

Travell ing through Ogliastra and seeing it from the windows of the l itt legreen train is an unbeatable experience.The narrow-gauge rai lway slowly cl imbs up and across the slopes; alandscape where signalman houses, bridges, and small stations sitperfectly at home in their luxuriant surroundings

The culture of the countryside is represented in the vast repertoire offolk music that exists. The cantos a tenore and choral songs, typical ofthe local area, create a surreal atmosphere that blends harmoniouslyinto the surrounding landscape. Pastoral ism plays a major role in thecommunity. The coiles, or sheepfolds, are proof of the strong connectionbetween man and nature. The huts and animal fences are smallarchitectural gems. Built with stone and wood from the local area, theyare careful ly and thoughtful ly constructed.

Urzulei, Tenores

Urzulei, Coile

Nature never fai ls to surprise and delight us.Throughout the mountain ranges and in thecl i ffs that overlook the sea, the hiddentreasures of the orogenies can be found insidethe grottos.To make visits easier, sightseeing tours offervisitors the chance to admire the picturesquebeauty of what l ies underground.Accompanied by guides, enthusiasts can visitthe speleological sites that have remainedintact and discover the wonders of exploringthe depths of the earth.

Bau

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Gro

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del F

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Several geological eras are ref lected in thecrystal clear blue of the sea.The red porphyry rocks contrast the grey ofthe granite and the white of the l imestonecliffs; Ogliastra being thought by some to benamed after the most imposing of them al l,Pedra Longa.Indeed, seen from the sea, some several milesaway, "the spire", 129 metres high,appears as a small white notch on themountainous coast.For ancient navigators, that sign, then calledAgugliastra, was a fai l-safe geographicalreference point, a natural beacon way beforethe f irst man-made l ighthouse was bui lt onthe island of Pharos.Others bel ieve the thousand-year-old ol ivetrees of Santa Maria Navarrese, another localnatural treasure, to be where the nameOgliastra originates from.

Be it geological cataclysms or ancientman-made achievements, one thing is certain:Ogliastra has an eventfulnatural history to tel l .

Bau

nei,

Ped

ralo

nga

"Arbatasar", which, in Arabic,means "the fourteenth tower", conveys justhow much history every cape in the region holds.Mysterious names bestowed on the landby invaders have merged with those givenby the people. Ispul igidenie - l i teral ly "snow fleas" -is one example of this, the sparkl ing stonesof the coves seen by shepherds from the cl i ffs above.

The unspoilt terr itory of Ogliastra has alwaysexpressed its strong identity.A region that is r ich in cultureand bursting with folklorist ic tradit ion. [

Tortolì, Arbatax Rocce Rosse

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Foto: Enrico Spanu, Giorgio Altieri, Roberto Moro, Mario Pierro,

Michela Grimal, Renato Brotzu,Massimiliano Maddanu

Archivio Provincia dell’Ogliastra

PROVINCIADELL’OGLIASTRA

STL OgliastraVia Cedrino 24 - Tortolì

tel / fax (+39) 0782 66 00 00

Assessorato al Turismovia Cedrino 24 - Tortolì

tel / fax (+39) 0782 66 00 00www.provincia.ogliastra.it

turismo@provincia.ogliastra.it

Ogliastra

Italia

Sardegna

Tertenia

TrieiBaunei

LotzoraiGirasole

Arbatax

IlbonoLanusei

Barisardo

CardeduJerzu

Ulassai

VillagrandeStrisaili

Talana

EliniArzana

GairoLoceri

Perdasdefogu

Urzulei

Osini

Tortolì

S. M. Navarrese

Ogliastra

T. max °C

T. min. °C

Rain mm

14832

14842

15941

171132

211423

251811

28214

292113

261943

221671

181258

15973

20,313,844

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

June

July

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Year

Olbia

OlbiaAlghero

Cagliari

Temperatures are reported as the monthly and annual averagetaken from three decades, 1961-1990.

The Capo Bellavista weather station is located in the provinceof Ogliastra, in the town of Tortolì, 156 metres above sea

level and with the geographic coordinates 39°56 'N 9° 43' E

Seui

Ussassai