Things to Do and See in Nuoro

Nuoro is considered the heart of the island, a small town nestled between the Goceano and Marghine highlands to the north, the Giara di Gesturi plateau to the west, Lake Mulargia to the east, and the Flumendosa Valley to the south. The imposing Gennargentu Massif and the Supramonte, Sardinia’s highest mountains, represent the harshest and wildest natural environment on the entire island. The city of Nuoro is perched on the granite slopes of Mount Ortobene and has very ancient origins, as evidenced by the nuraghe and the nuragic village of Tanca Manna. Located on a hill near the town center, it was, until a few decades ago, a pastoral community that underwent significant urban development in the 1930s, when it became the provincial capital. This development has almost completely erased its former identity, which is now visible only in the historic center. Over time, the city has demonstrated great cultural richness, being the birthplace of Nobel Prize-winning author Grazia Deledda—to whom a museum has been dedicated—as well as poet Sebastiano Satta, sculptor Ciusa, and jurist Attilio Deffenu. It currently houses, in a beautiful building in the city center, the MAN, Museum of Contemporary Art, and, also in the city center, the Museum of Folk Arts and Traditions, which houses over 8,000 artifacts, including traditional costumes, tools, amulets, musical instruments, and other objects typical of the daily life and folk traditions of the inland villages.