Orune, Galtellì
This literary trail touches on the places described by novelist Grazia Deledda, one of the foremost Sardinian writers and winner of the Nobel prize for literature in 1926.
Journey length: 18 km
Road travel time: 46 min
The trail starts with a visit to Orune, a village in the Province of Nuoro. In her novel Colombi e Sparvieri, the Sardinian writer calls the village Oronou. Orune has the typical layout of the area’s shepherds’ villages, ennobled by the 19th century Church of Santa Maria della Neve. Close to town is the holy well of Su Tempiesu, dating from 1200 BC, which is the best-preserved Nuraghic well temple on the island.
The second stop starts at Galtellì, a small village in the Baronia area. The route continues towards the mountain towering above the village, called Tuttavista, described by Sardinian novelist Grazia Deledda in her novel Canne al vento. We then head for the home of the Pintor ladies, the novel’s main characters. Other places of interest are the 14th-century parish Church of the Santissimo Crocifisso, with a beautiful 14th century wooden crucifix, an 18th century organ and a 16th century painted wooden statue of the Trinity. The Medieval church of San Pietro, built in the 12th century, has paintings mentioned in Deledda’s novel. The Ethnographic Museum "Casa Marras", housed in an 18th century manor house, has a rich collection of objects belonging to the traditional farmers’ and shepherds’ culture.