Esterzili

The territory of Esterzili spreads on the foothills of the Mountains Saint Vittoria (1212 metres) and falls sheer to the valley of the river Flumendosa. It contains evocative landscapes, hundred-year old woods, and typical high outcrops known has “heels”.  

From the top of the town it’s possible to enjoy a sight to behold: a real natural window on the regions of Campidano and Ogliastra.

Esterzili is an ideal place for naturalistic tourism. There are many paths for mountain bikers and for archaeology-lovers: 80 archaeological sites (nuraghes, giants tombs, domus de janas). Among those it’s very important the megaron temple Domu de Orxia, a real rarity in the Sardinian megalithic architecture. This massive building rectangular in shape, dates back to the XIII° century B.C. and is situated at 1000 metres above sea level. The legend related to this site, says that inside the Temple there were fliers (is muscas maceddas)  known as killers or butchers, that kept those who wanted to break into the temple away.  

Some small bronze of nuragic era have been recently discovered inside the building, and thanks to an initiative of the Municipality it’s now possible to see their exemplars at the former library of Via Roma.

The bronze board found in the archaeological site Cort’e Lucetta is very important, it is an epigraphic document dated 69 A.D, which shows a border dispute between two peoples of the region of Barbagia: Patulcenses (farmer colonizers from Campania) and Galillenses (native shepherds).

On the foothills of the Mountain Saint Vittoria it’s possible to visit the ruins of a nuragic village made up by circle hut which, partly surrounded by cyclopean walls, contains a nuraghe, a holy well and a interesting megalithic fence.

Among the places of worship, the Church of Saint Michele (XV° century) in the Catalan-Gothic style is worthwhile visiting. In the last decades this important church has gone through several renovation works.

Among the renowned people of the town, it is important to remember Brother Antonio Maria from Esterzili, the main Sardinian dramatist of the XVII° century.

For gastronomy-lovers, Esterzili offers delicious typical popular dishes such as su casu ‘e fitta, sa bagna, sa fregula, is culurxionis and meat roasted on a spit.