A traditional shepherds’ hut.

At the end of the 19th century, the Sardinian village of Orgosolo was renowned across Europe as the village of bandits because of its high crime rate. The locals, mainly shepherds and farmers, often felt oppressed by the national government and passionately struggled to achieve their own idea of social justice and peace.

It was about 10 years ago that Orgosolo finally became a more tranquil environment; in fact, only a few of the elders of this village have a clean police conduct.

Nowadays, Orgosolo is popular with tourists for the colourful murals which adorn many of the buildings’ façades.

These paintings act as silent but eloquent witnesses to the historical, social and cultural transition of the village, creating the impression of being in a living museum.

Only a few of the elders of this village have a clean police conduct

For those visitors who would like to get closer to the locals, there is also the opportunity to join a group of Orgosolo shepherds, with whom one can enjoy an exceptional lunch cooked in the traditional Sardinian way, while marvelling at the spectacular scenery of this area.

Orgosolo is nestled within the massive Supramonte mountain range in an area known as Barbagia. It is situated in the province of Nuoro, in the central part of Sardinia, a zone that is quite isolated from other inhabited areas.

One of Orgosolo’s many thought-provoking murals.

In 1961, Italian film director Vittorio De Seta presented the highly acclaimed film Bandits of Orgosolo, which aimed to portray a realistic representation of the arduous life of the locals.

The story showed how these people were further encumbered by their inherent mistrust of the State, which was forcefully trying to expropriate their land – a situation which eventually encouraged the Sardinian banditry in the late 1800s.

On the other hand, some other social critics insist that the high increase in criminality in Orgosolo was due to the Barbaricino code of honour, which demanded revenge for any offence caused by others. Revenge meant that the guilty had to suffer the consequences worse than the level of offence. This situation finally culminated in a series of kidnapping incidents and in bloody fights which, at times, escalated to a number of deaths both on the police and on the locals’ side.

Ultimately, there came a time when most of the locals tired of the bloodsheds; this subsequently brought this turbulent past to an end.

At first hand, a walk around the village of Orgosolo will reveal an old and unimpressive set of buildings. Yet, if one is aware of the history, one cannot remain untouched by the multitude of murals and by the messages they divulge.

Curiously, the first mural painting in Orgosolo was created by a number of young anarchists from Tuscany. The rest of the murals were the idea of an Orgosolo art teacher, Francesco Del Casino, who decided to ask his students to transfer various posters that were commemorating the 30th anniversary of the anti-fascist resistance movement onto the walls of the village houses.

The main theme of most of these murals is protest and the short messages written on them, such as: Felice il popolo che non ha bisogno di eroi (Happy are those people who do not need heroes), demand attention and provoke much introspection.

The present state of the old part of the village clearly reflects a humble standard of living. However, Orgosolo is the only village in central Sardinia which did not undergo a severe depopulation due to the crisis in the agrarian sector.

Visitors will surely enjoy lunch with Orgosolo shepherds, such as those giving this service at Supramonte. The shepherds prepare the food in the traditional Sardinian way – cooking pork and mutton on long rods on a fire.

In the meantime, visitors will have the opportunity to get to know other tourists from all parts of the world as they enjoy this unique meal served by the shepherds themselves.

The meal, which starts with generous portions of Sardinian bread, cheese, water and wine, continues with meat and traditional sweets and tastes delicious, especially when enjoyed on benches perfumed by the crisp fragrance of the forest trees.

A final surprise awaits as the four shepherds suddenly leave everything behind and form a close circle, from where they start emitting loud and strange vocal sounds. These intonations form part of a traditional style of shepherd folk singing known as Cantu a tenore, characteristic of the Barbagian region of Sardinia.

A surreal atmosphere is created as the shepherds’ ancient chanting echoes off the surrounding mountains, creating the illusion of going back in time. For those who would like to spend more time with the locals, there is the option of renting small, round habitations, which are a modern representation of the rustic houses that have sheltered these shepherds for so many long years against all odds.