Gavoi and the Barbagia di Ollolai Region
Overview of Gavoi
Gavoi is a high-altitude agropastoral center situated at 790 meters on the northern slopes of the Gennargentu massif, overlooking Lake Gusana in the Barbagia di Ollolai subregion. Recognized with the Bandiera Arancione by the Touring Club Italiano, Gavoi is celebrated for its textile crafts (orbace wool), traditional horse-riding culture, ancient musical instruments, and the literary festival L’isola delle Storie.
Origins & History:
Inhabited since the Nuragic era (attested by local domus de janas and nuraghi), Gavoi belonged to the Giudicato of Arborea (Ollolai curatoria) in the Middle Ages, later passing to the Marquisate of Oristano, Aragonese rulers, and the Duchy of Mandas under the Maza and Tellez-Giron families until 1839.
Traditional Musical Instruments: Gavoi is renowned for manufacturing and playing ancient Sardinian instruments:
- Su Tumbarinu: A large double-headed wooden drum constructed with sheep or goat skins and played with drumsticks.
- Su Pipiolu: A small four-holed reed flute.
- Su Triangulu: An open-ended steel triangle struck with a metal rod.
Key Sites & Cultural Highlights:
- Parish Church of San Gavino: Built between the 15th and 17th centuries in Late Gothic-Aragonese style, featuring a rose window in red trachyte, a 30-meter bell tower, a 1706 polygonal carved wooden baptismal font, and an 18th-century wooden choir loft.
- Church of Sant’Antioco: A 13th-century Gothic church containing stone relics of Saint Antiochus and medieval architectural details.
- Palazzo Porcu Satta (Ethnographic Museum): A 1901 Art Nouveau noble residence featuring frescoed ceilings by decorator Molinari and a room entirely styled by Nuorese sculptor Francesco Ciusa, now serving as an ethnographic museum.
- Lake Gusana (Lago di Gusana): An artificial reservoir on the Taloro River surrounded by dense holm-oak forests, offering recreational tourism and preserving the remains of an ancient Roman bridge.
- Sanctuary of Sa Itria: Located on the Pratobello plateau amid seasonal pilgrim quarters (cumbessias), featuring a 1906 church, ancient menhirs (Sa Perda Longa), and hosting the famous late-July horse-racing festival (Su Palu).