The Barracos
The Barracos are original stone and wood huts which for many centuries were the solitary shelters of the Sardinian shepherds, around which they raised their goats, sheep and pigs. These huts are a testimonial to the old life of the shepherds, governed by the rhythms of nature and the seasons. The main building, called Su Barracu, consists of a dry-stone circular wall surmounted by a cone-shaped roof made of holm oak and juniper planks and branches and lined with smaller branches and leaves.
Inside it has a central fireplace, probably very similar to the fireplaces of the ancient Nuragic huts, called su foghile, while a series of lateral shelves resting against the roof served to store the shepherds’ tools and the products of their work, such as wheels of cheese and hams. Around the top of the roof was a ledge known as su cugumale, which was intended to protect the hut from the autumn rains and ensure the rainwater flowed away from the wooden structure. Su Barraccu is often flanked by a smaller hut used as a toolshed, and is surrounded by a dry-stone sheep pen, called sa corte. Adjoining the pen were smaller enclosures, called cherinas, used to hold the baby goats.
Su Gorroppu
In Barbagia, deep in the Supramonte, surrounded by thick woods and splendid oleanders you will find the most imposing natural canyon in Italy and indeed in Europe: the gorge of Su Gorroppu. It is one of the most enchanting and striking gems of the Sardinian mountains. The visitor is welcomed by silence and wild nature among the impressive cliffs, which in some places are over 400 m high.
The gorge, the bottom of which is covered with large, smooth, white boulders, is a deep cleft between the Supramonte of Orgosolo and that of Urzulei, a narrow fissure carved over millennia by the waters of the Rio Flumineddu. The river continues its course beyond the gorge, creating ponds and flowing down into the Oddoene valley, where it feeds several springs. You can reach it on foot, after a trek of two hours, following the trail along the Rio Flumineddu leading to the gorge, passing through a splendid landscape. The best periods for this hike are spring and autumn.
