Nuoro

Laying over the central mountains, in a panoramic position, Nuoro is the most typical Sardinian town, the one where Sardinians feel their roots lie.

It was called the Sardinian Athens, due to the huge number of poets, writers and intellectuals that here took part in a quite original culture.

Scientists in many disciplines, and artists like sculptor Francesco Ciusa Romagna (whose "La Madre dell'Ucciso" = the mother of the killed, is now in Rome at National Modern Gallery) or xylographers like prof. Remo Branca.

Nugoro demonstrates however a particular devotion to jurisprudence, and one of its better writers, university professor Salvatore Satta, is at the same time famous for his civil procedural studies and books as well as for his literature's masterpiece Il Giorno del Giudizio (translated in more than 90 languages) - see below.

Similarly, Dr. Mario Corda is one of the most important magistrates in Italy's Supreme Court and his professional success is as notable as his studies in aesthetical philosophy or his books and novels (always regarding Sardinia and Nugoro in particular).

Grazia Deledda too, Nobel Prize for literature (1926), was born here and her works are about Nuoro or its district.

Recently (1975) described with superbly depictive scenarios in Salvatore Satta's "Il Giorno del Giudizio", Nugoro is still a rural town, with two main popular areas named "Seuna" (accent on "e") and "San Pietro".

The best preserved ethnic area of Sardinia (and perhaps of all Europe, as recently scientifically demonstrated by geneticists) is Barbagia, that belongs to Nuoro's jurisdiction and defers to Nuoro for everything.

Sardinia seems to show a close mentality, proud of its peculiarities, and Nugoro expresses this feeling as a typical state of mind. A proverb can explain, better than thousands of words, Sardinian mentality towards foreigners: "Furat chie benit dae su mare" = The one who comes from sea, is here to steal.

Criminality is effectively a relevant local problem, but the diffence of mentality with the Continent (and in general from Western habits) has to be considered while admitting a different social organisation and peculiar popularly felt behaviour codes. What is law on the Continent might be considered a social offense here (e.g. no one here considers it polite to show a personal identity document or to have anyone else's behaviour investigated), and vice versa (e.g. on the Continent, receiving a friendly pat on your bottom while talking might not be appreciated as a sign of friendship and agreement, as it is here).

Economy: agriculture, sheep breeding, art and tradition related business, state employments, crime (kidnapping and robberies), tourism.

Places to visit

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