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September

OLIENA

Oliena is situated on the slopes of Mount Corrasi. To reach the village from Cagliari you must take the 131 highway, until you get to the road fork for Nuoro (131a); as you reach the town, you will find road signs inside, as well as along the ring road which indicate the right direction to Oliena (only 12 km away from Nuoro). With its traditional granite lime-painted houses with wide courtyards shaded by arbours, little external stairs and characteristic chimney-pots, Oliena is a quaint village which still preserves much of a lost past. Since ancient times the inhabitants of the village have had an innate feeling for beauty. This is proved by the presence of many artisan schools and goldsmith studios, where able craftsmen create filigree jewels, woollen, silk and linen shawls. Also the leather working, once used only for agropastoral tools, has reached a high quality level, being now specialized in the creation of cartridge belts, saddles, cushions, bags, etc. Oliena is also famous for dairy cattle breeding and for the production of many good natural products, such as extra-virgin olive oil, lentisk oil, goat’s and sheep’s milk cheese (from the local shepherds’ co-operative), excellent wine, like the Nepènte, produced in the Cantina Gostolai; acquavite (a kind of brandy), pane carasau (a typical bread), cold cuts, honey, and a rich variety of buscuits and sweets: guefus (made with sponge-cake, almonds and honey), pistiddu, gugligliones, casadinas, aranciada, sevadas… Visitors can taste all these dainty specialties together with the roasts at Masilonghi’s and Cikappa’s restaurants. The territory of Oliena is rich and interesting from both the naturalistic and archaeological point of view. It offers a variety of fluvial and mountainous landscapes along the river Cedrino and in the Supramonte mountain district which extends through steep precipices, plateaus and valleys as far as Punta Corrasi (Corrasi Peak). Here you can enjoy the excursions organized by the local guides, either by trekking or on horseback. You may start your visit from the most important and famous karst spring in Sardinia, called Su Cologone (300 litres flow per second). From Via Maggiore Toselli, in the upper part of Oliena, you can reach the marvellous holm-oaks wood of Mount Maccione. Going onwards, you get to Mount Corrasi. The peculiar physiognomy of the mountains of Oliena, which are pointed and indented, explains why they are known as “the Sardininan Dolomites”. From Su Cologone you can reach the wonderful Lainattu valley, whose brook Sa Oche has created through a millenary erosion the singular phenomena of caves which characterizes the Supramonte. To list some: the Guano, Gonagòsula, Sa Oche, Su Bentu and Dorgali caves. Downhill, near the boundary between Oliena and Dorgali, you find the famous Mount Tiscali and its doline, a cave which contains two nuraghic villages. Inside the village of Oliena you can admire many religious buildings among which the former parish church dedicated to Saint Maria, Santa Croce (Holy Cross) Church, perhaps the most ancient in the village, Nostra Signora di Itria Church (Our Lady of Itria), Saint Ignazio of Loyola Parish Church and finally the 16th- century Jesuit monastery. In August and September tourists, Sardininan visitors included, take part in the several local feasts, such as Saint Lussorio’s, celebrated the 21st August in the omonimous church situated in the core of the village. On this occasion the inhabitants give sumpuouts banquets, organize dialectal poetic competitions and traditional dances performed by the folk groups of the nearby villages. The church dedicated to the Madonna of Monserrato, built in 1543 outside the village, started celebrations probably the following year the 8th september, and it still does now. But the most famous rite in Oliena is the Easter procession called “S’incontru” (the meeting), when the Virgin Mary meets Christ at Saint Mary Square, among the religious chants and the multi-coloured traditional costumes. “Cortes Apertas” (open courtyards) is a recent festival which takes place the 14th, 15th and 16th September. The owners of old courtyards invite tourists to enter and see their personal expositions of handicrafts, gastronomic products and the local traditional costumes. An occasion in which you can appreciate the inhabitants’ hospitality.