Nuoro, Sardegna
Orgosolo
In 1969 this village stopped the Italian army from taking its land. The same year the paintings started appearing on the walls, and they have never stopped.
Why it is worth the drive
The murals begin in 1969 with the Dionysus Group, an anarchist collective led by Giancarlo Celli. The first political mural showed a map of Italy with a question mark where Sardinia should be, beside a woman in a stars-and-stripes top hat.
The year was not an accident. In 1969 the people of Orgosolo blocked the expropriation of common land for a military firing range. The walls have been a painted political archive ever since, and that is the part of this village that speaks to an American visitor.
Getting there
Olbia (OLB), about a hundred and thirty kilometres, two hours. No train; the ARST buses from Nuoro are infrequent. A hire car is essential.
The honest part
Orgosolo is not a pretty village. Much of it is 1960s and 1970s concrete, and the interest is political and visual rather than architectural. Coach parties stop for an hour in the middle of the day: come early or late. The bandit reputation is history, but the place is unpolished.
Last checked 2026-09-12. Opening hours and festival dates change: confirm with the town before you travel.
Eleven more towns like this one
Each town is a day. The order of the drives, the nights and the meals is the part that ruins most first trips to small Italy. Twelve of them in one guide, free, and a letter a week after that.
No spam, one letter a week, unsubscribe in one click.