Villagrande Strisaili

Overview and Geography

Villagrande Strisaili (Biddamanna Istrisàili in Sardinian) is a mountain municipality of 2,947 inhabitants situated at 700 meters elevation on a rocky slope of Mount Suana in the Ogliastra region (Nuoro province). Positioned between the Gennargentu range (with peaks over 1,300 m) and the Gulf of Arbatax plain, the municipal territory reaches a maximum altitude of 1,828 meters and encompasses the Lake Alto Flumendosa.

Etymologically, Biddamanna comes from the Latin Villa Magna (“Great Village”). The suffix Strisaili (attested in 1341 as Strisayli, from medieval Estirgaili) derives from Tres Ailes (“Three Sheepfolds”), making its historical name Bidda Manna Tres Ailes (“Great Village of the Three Sheepfolds”). Administratively, Villagrande returned to the re-established Province of Ogliastra in 2025.

Global Longevity Male World Record

Villagrande Strisaili is located inside the Nuoro/Ogliastra Blue Zone (Zona Blu), an area famous for human longevity. Following demographic research led by Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain, Villagrande Strisaili holds the official Guinness World Record for Male Longevity (published in 2014), boasting the highest concentration of male centenarians globally. Street murals in the village commemorate local centenarians as symbols of healthy lifestyle, diet, and community cohesion.

Economy and Local Culture

• Agropastoral & Artisanal Economy: Agriculture and livestock (sheep, swine, poultry, and organic apples) form the primary sector alongside food processing (pistoccu bread bakeries, wineries, and dairies). Local crafts include woodworking, wrought iron, and hand-loomed rugs.

• S’Istrumpa (Sardinian Wrestling): Villagrande is a major center for S’Istrumpa (or Sa Strumpa), an ancient Nuragic wrestling style similar to Celtic/Greco-Roman wrestling. Competitors (gherradores) wear dark velvet attire and aim to throw opponents onto their backs using arm strength and footwork. Recognized by CONI, the local A.S.D. Sa Strumpa (active since 1996) participates in international Celtic wrestling championships.

• Sardinian Choral & Tenor Singing: Active musical ensembles include Coro Ogliastra Amistade, Coro Polifonico Bellavista, Tenore Santa Barbara, and Tenore Monte Suana.

• Festivals and Gastronomy:

  • Sagra de Is Gathulis (Early August): Celebrates traditional ring-shaped fried potato, semolina, and cheese pastries.

  • Sagra della Pecora Arrosto (Early August): Roasted mutton feast.

  • Patronal Feast of San Gabriele Arcangelo (August 1): Main town festival featuring launeddas music, processions, and folk dances.

  • Feast of Santa Barbara (Second Sunday of July): Held at the Santa Barbara forest chapel, preceded by a traditional youth quest (Sa Corona).

  • Feast of San Basilio Magno (Third Sunday of June): Major pilgrimage festival held in the hamlet of Villanova Strisaili.

History and “The Monte Novu War”

Inhabited since prehistoric times, the area passed through Roman control (associated with the Rubrenses tribe), the Giudicato of Caralis, Gallura, and Pisan rule. In 1363, Aragon assigned it to the County (later Marquisate) of Quirra under the Carroz family.

The Monte Novu War (La Guerra di Monte Novu)

Following the destruction of the village of Onnis by plague around 1670, refugees fled to Villagrande and Fonni. Dispute over the 3,558-hectare Monte Novu pasture lands sparked a 200-year feud between Villagrande Strisaili and Fonni known as the Guerra di Monte Novu. Despite King Victor Emmanuel I issuing a Regia Patente in 1811 granting Fonni perpetual lease, land clashes continued until court rulings in 1926. Tensions briefly flared again in 2011 over a proposed wildlife preserve before local authorities reallocated the reserve site; today Fonni owns the land while it remains under Villagrande’s municipal jurisdiction as a state forestry site.

Architecture, Murals, and Sights

Town Center & Villanova Strisaili

• Public Murals: Streets feature diverse murals, including political/anti-war works by Francesco Del Casino (1977 portrait of Antonio Gramsci and anti-fascist themes) and Antioco Cotza (1983), environmental murals, and portraits of centenarians.

• Parish Church of San Gabriele Arcangelo: 18th-century Neoclassical parish church commissioned by Archbishop Vittorio Melano. Features a square bell tower with ogival windows, a bronze door, and a 1937 WWI memorial plaque bearing monarchist and WWI symbols.

• Villanova Strisaili Hamlet: An outlying resort hamlet located at 845 meters elevation. Houses the Parish Church / Sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo (San Basilio Magno), rebuilt in Neoclassical style between 1902 and 1908.

• Civic Infrastructure: Includes the Town Hall on Via Roma, an indoor multi-sports gym in Bariocce, and the Bilicoe Municipal Football Stadium (600 seats).

Archaeological Sites & Flumendosa Engineering

• S’Arcu ‘e Is Forros Complex: A major Nuragic sanctuary and central metallurgical site located at 1,000 meters elevation. Features three Megaron Temples (A, B, and C), smelting furnaces, and court-style living units (Insulae).

  • Canaanite Amphora: Excavations in Insula 2 uncovered a 9th–8th century BC Canaanite transport amphora bearing ancient engraved inscriptions.

• Sa Carcaredda Complex: Situated at 932 meters elevation near Villanova Strisaili, comprising a circular Megaron Temple, a Nuragic village, and five Giant’s Tombs (Sa Carcaredda I–V) set in a holm-oak forest.

• Campu de Pira Onni (Pradu Su Chiai): A row-type Giant’s Tomb featuring an intact lintel stone carved with a three-dentil frieze.

• Santa Barbara Park & Chapel: A dense holm-oak forest reserve filled with freshwater springs, hosting a 1950 forest chapel dedicated to St. Barbara.

• Sothai Waterfalls: A 70-meter-high waterfall where the Flumendosa drops into the Bau Vigo canyon.

• Flumendosa Lakes and Hydroelectric System:

  • Bau Muggeris Dam / Lake Alto Flumendosa: Built in 1949 at 801 meters elevation, creating a 61 million m³ reservoir and feeding three underground power stations (I, II, and III Salto del Flumendosa). Includes the abandoned 1949 Villaggio Enel.

  • Sa Teula Dam & Lake Santa Lucia: Secondary dams and reservoirs managing water flow toward the Tortolì coastal plain for power and irrigation.

• Villagrande Strisaili Railway Station: An 1893 narrow-gauge station built for the Mandas-Arbatax line (located in Arzana territory), used for Trenino Verde summer tourist excursions.