Travel with kids: Sardinia beyond the Coast – The murales from Orgosolo, the walls that speak

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Travel with kids

Published on Thursday, 04 September 2014 11:45

Last Updated on 31 August 2014

Monica Costa

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I have chosen Sardinia (Orgosolo in particular) to start my narrative journey into my origin country hoping you will love it as much as I do. In a series of travel features I will tell you everything I love about Italy above and beyond the negative aspects that might put a shadow into a fascinating culture. And I will also uncover lots of things that might not be on the typical tourists’ map. In fact I will focus on those less well known quirky little secrets about Italy. I hope you enjoy following me in my discovery journey.

Sardinia is well known for its white sandy beaches, perennial sunshine, great food and very hospitable Italian islanders.

But I have actually discovered that there’s a lot more behind the beautiful coastal landscapes.

The Sardinian countryside is very varied and completely different from the well known coast.

The mountains are high green and sunny anytime of the year with rare exceptions. You sometimes wonder how it can be so green with such small amount of rain.

Even the water collected from the mountain rustic fountains is so light and fresh. This water might be the secret to the famous longevity on the island. It is not uncommon for people to live beyond 108 years of age.

Longevity in Sardinia derives from a combination of factors: slow pace, no stress lifestyle, great harmony with the territory and its resources, good healthcare system (a lot of pubic money in Italy is spent for health and Italians are quintessentially hypochondriacs).

Sardinian people love to make things from scratch not just food but also furniture, tools and accessories from the materials found on the island.

Artisans are still working hard and export their products all over the world from their small shops.

Examples of artifacts made on the Island are the Rasoie (knives in Sardinian) from Pattada and Arbus, the cushions and decorated  linens, products made with Sughero (cork in Italian) as well as the famous Pecorino cheese.

I will let my 51 images of Orgosolo murales speak for themselves. 

Watch out for my next features where I will look at Mamoiada, the hometown of the Mammuttones (Carnival Pastoral caricatures), Pattada (the Sardinian capital of rasoie), Olbia, San Sperate village in South Sardinia, famous for another type of murals, Arbus, the dunes from Piscinas and the miners’ village, and Cagliari. I took my son along to all these places and he enjoyed the trip enormously. Children are curious and are like sponges. They love learning if you provide them with the right stimuli.

 

The murales from Orgosolo, the walls that speak

In continental Italy when you mention Orgosolo people immediately think of bandits who kept hostages in the mountains of Barbagia who used to cut the ears of their victims to be sent to their families for a ransom. At some point, it was even named “village of the murderers” due to its high crime rate. The little town is a  lot more than that and is very artistic apart from being one of the places in Sardinia where the pecorino cheese is amazing. In my recent trip there I was totally impressed by its murals – murales which cover all the village walls. It seems an exaggeration to say all but it is a fact. Most murales are of political nature and reflect different aspects of Sardinia’s political struggles, as well as looking at international issues.  This tradition started at the end of the 1960’s and early 1970’s when student protest was questioning decades of social oppression and injustice. The descriptions under my images hopefully help explain the background behind each painting  – and yes, some are real masterpieces.