Barracos are original stone and wood buildings that for centuries were the solitary dwellings of Sardinian shepherds, around which goats, sheep and pigs were raised. These structures are a reminder of what life was once like for shepherds, governed as it was by the rhythms of nature and the seasons. The main structure, called Su Barracu, consisted of a dry-stone perimeter wall surmounted by an inverted cone roof made up of beams, branches of holm oak and juniper and lined with branches and leaves.
The interior of the structure consisted of a central hearth, called su foghile, while some side shelves propped against the roof were used by shepherds to store work tools and typical produce, such as pecorino cheese and ham. The uppermost section featured a sort of horizontal hat-shaped cover called su cugumale, which served to protect the hut from autumn rains, draining water away from the wooden structure.
Su Barraccu were often flanked by another small building, used as a storage space for bulky tools, and surrounded by an enclosure for the flock called sa corte, in turn flanked by small spaces, called cherinas, used as a shelter for kids.
