Gallura
Encyclopedia
Gallura is a region of northern Sardinia
, Italy
.
The name Gallùra (Gallurese: Gaddùra, ɡaˈɖːuɾa ) means "area located on high ground".
and 11 kilometers far from the French Island of Corsica
.
The coast of Gallura is very jagged and continues along in a continuous series of small fiords, rock-cliffs and little islands that form the Archipelago
of La Maddalena
, a natural bridge towards nearby Corsica.
The landscape is characterised by granite
rocks and harsh mountains that, even if not particularly high, have constituted for millennia a barrier between this region and the nearby territories of Baronie and Montalbo. Monte Limbara is the highest mountain (1,362 m/4,469 ft). It represents the boundary between Gallura and the near-by region called Logudoro
. Its highest peak is Punta Balestrieri (1362 m above the sea level). In the past, Monte Limbara used to be the location of an important NATO long rage radar
base and a Carabinieri
’s barrack. Today it is used as a telecommunications center for the Italian Air Force and a heliport
for the Servizio Antincendi. It is also the location of all the major TV relay stations of West Sardinia. Another small mountain is Monte Cruzitta (666 m). Even if it is not very high, it offers a very characteristic landscape.
The climate
is typical of the Mediterranean. The weather is clear. During the year approximately 300 days are sunny and the few others are rainy, with a major concentration of rainfall in the winter and autumn, some heavy showers in the spring, and snowfalls on the highest massif
s and highlands. The mistral
is the dominant wind, fresh, strong, and usually dry and cold, blowing from the northwest throughout the year, but most frequently in winter and spring.
and Sardinia. This historic period is known as the Stone Age
.
Foreign populations decided to invade Gallura due to its numerous natural resources. Many people from the nearby French island of Corsica came as well to Gallura during this historic period.
, which represented the most important seaport in Sardinia.
The historic period that goes from 1700 BC to the Roman Age is also known in Sardinia as the epoca nuragica. The particular name of this historic period takes after the Nuraghi, the biggest megalithic edifices ever found in Europe, which still today represent a symbol for Sardinia.
, Gallura represented one of the four Giudicati of Sardinia. These Giudicati consist of four independent kingdoms in which Sardinia was divided at that time.
Civita
(which today is known as Olbia) represented the capital of the Giudicato of Gallura and also the bishop’s see.
The Giudicato of Gallura included the today’s area of Gallura, the area surrounding the city of Nuoro
, and the area called Baronie.
Pirates from Arabia invaded the coasts of Gallura and people moved consequently from there to the hinterland. The city of Tempio became especially populated.
Between 1500 and 1700 there was a big emigration of people from the nearby French island of Corsica to Gallura. People from Corsica deeply influenced the language and the culture of Gallura, which still today is considered quite different from the culture and the dialects of the rest of Sardinia.
was transferred from the city of Olbia to the city of Tempio, which also became a district’s capital.
increased this tendency even more, especially in the areas of Costa Smeralda
, Santa Teresa di Gallura, and San Teodoro
.
Today, Gallura represents the highest head income of the entire Sardinia.
has remarkably increased in small centers along the eastern coast and in the cities of Arzachena
and Olbia. The population density of 12 municipalities out of 26 has however decreased (-4%) in centers located in the country -side and on the mountains. This tendency depends on the increase of the seaside tourism.
In general, Sardinia represents the Italian region with the lowest fertility rate (1.087 births per woman), and the region with the second lowest birth rate
. These factors result positive towards the preservation of the natural environment.
Olbia is a town of approximately 45.000 inhabitants. It represents the city with the highest population density of the entire Gallura. In 2005 it became an administrative capital together with Tempio-Pausania. They form the province called Olbia-Tempio.
Founded in 350 BC, it used to be one of the most important trade areas of the Mediterranean Sea.
Today, it represents the economic center of Sardinia due to its airport
, its seaport and also to its closeness to the famous Costa Smeralda tourist area.
Tempio Pausania
Tempio Pausania is a town of 13.800 inhabitants. Together with Olbia, it is the administrative capital of the province Olbia-Tempio.
Founded around 250 BC, Tempio Pausania is located 560m above the sea level. It represents both the geographical and the cultural capital of Gallura. Every year, thousands of tourists come to visit Tempio Pausania to assist to the characteristic carnevale (carnival), which takes place at the end of February.
Arzachena
Arzachena is a town of 12,080 inhabitants.
It represents the administrative capital of the “Costa Smeralda” tourist area. Founded in 1961 by the prince Karim Aga Khan, Costa Smeralda represents the most exclusive tourist area of Gallura.
Arzachena is also famous for its archeology. Its archeological sites include the LiMuri Tomba dei Giganti (Giants’ Grave).
La Maddalena
La Maddalena is part of an archipelago called Arcipelago della Maddalena. It is situated in the Straits of Bonifacio, which divide Sardinia from Corsica. La Maddalena represents the largest town of this archipelago, which includes the islands of Caprera, S. Stefano, Spargi, Budelli, S. Maria and Razzoli. La Maddalena represents an important tourist site in Gallura and the island of Caprera is famous for being the residence of the Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi
.
The primary sector is not as important as in the rest of Sardinia. It is based mostly on wine
production. Also sheep breeding, dairy production, and poultry
farm are relevant.
The secondary sector is quite important. It is mostly based on cork work and mineral processing of granite. In fact, it is easy to find cork oaks in many parts of the region and the whole area is rich in granite, especially in vicinity of Monte Limbara.
, Italy’s third largest airline.
Another way to reach the region of Gallura is by ferry
. The ferry companies operating on the Island are Tirrenia di Navigazione, Moby Lines, Corsica Ferry, Grandi Navi Veloci, Snav, SNCM, and CMN. They link the harbors of Olbia, Golfo Aranci, Santa Teresa di Gallura and Palau to the harbors of the Italian peninsula, France, Corsica, and Spain.
and Sardinian
are the official languages of the island. However, different dialects characterize different areas of Sardinia. This dissimilarity is due to the various influences that immigrant populations from all over the world have brought along with them throughout history .
In Gallura, the main dialects are called logudorese sardinian and gallurese. Gallurese is not officially considered a Sardinian dialect since it is quite different from the most part of the other Sardinian dialects. It was influenced by Southern Corsican, the dialect spoken in the near-by French island of Corsica
, and by the one spoken in the Italian region of Tuscany.
Luras
and Padru
, a small town in the province of Olbia-Tempio, are the only areas in Gallura in where Gallurese is not spoken.
National Parks
Sardinia has ten regional parks and three national parks. One out of these three national parks is located in Gallura and it is the Archipelago of La Maddalena’s National Park. This park is a world-famous tourist area due to the beauty of its beaches and to the one of its landscape, where granite rocks alternate with green areas. Today, the Archipelago of La Maddalena’s National Park represents the headquarters of the US navy in Italy.
Renewable Energies
Renewable energies have increased impressively during the recent years in Sardinia. Due to the windy climate, the most important renewable energy
in Gallura is the wind power. During the past years however, the installation of wind power systems has been the subject of controversial debates due to its landscape impact.
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
The name Gallùra (Gallurese: Gaddùra, ɡaˈɖːuɾa ) means "area located on high ground".
Geography
Gallùra has a surface of 1370 square miles (3,548.3 km²) and it is situated between 40°55'20"64 latitude north and 09°29'11"76 east longitude. It is 187 kilometers far from the Italian peninsulaPeninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
and 11 kilometers far from the French Island of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
.
The coast of Gallura is very jagged and continues along in a continuous series of small fiords, rock-cliffs and little islands that form the Archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
of La Maddalena
La Maddalena
La Maddalena is a town and comune located on the island with the same name, in northern Sardinia, part of the province of Olbia-Tempio, Italy.-The town:...
, a natural bridge towards nearby Corsica.
The landscape is characterised by granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
rocks and harsh mountains that, even if not particularly high, have constituted for millennia a barrier between this region and the nearby territories of Baronie and Montalbo. Monte Limbara is the highest mountain (1,362 m/4,469 ft). It represents the boundary between Gallura and the near-by region called Logudoro
Logudoro
The Logudoro is a large traditional region in central-northern Sardinia, Italy. The local dialect is known as Logudorese.Mostly composed of soft volcanic terrains, it is the most fertile area of the island. For this reason it was settled since early Prehistoric times, as shown by the presence of...
. Its highest peak is Punta Balestrieri (1362 m above the sea level). In the past, Monte Limbara used to be the location of an important NATO long rage radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
base and a Carabinieri
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
’s barrack. Today it is used as a telecommunications center for the Italian Air Force and a heliport
Heliport
A heliport is a small airport suitable only for use by helicopters. Heliports typically contain one or more helipads and may have limited facilities such as fuel, lighting, a windsock, or even hangars...
for the Servizio Antincendi. It is also the location of all the major TV relay stations of West Sardinia. Another small mountain is Monte Cruzitta (666 m). Even if it is not very high, it offers a very characteristic landscape.
The climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
is typical of the Mediterranean. The weather is clear. During the year approximately 300 days are sunny and the few others are rainy, with a major concentration of rainfall in the winter and autumn, some heavy showers in the spring, and snowfalls on the highest massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
s and highlands. The mistral
Mistral
Mistral commonly refers to the Mistral in southern France and SardiniaMistral may also refer to:* Mistral, various ships of the French Navy, including:** Mistral class amphibious assault ship of the French Navy...
is the dominant wind, fresh, strong, and usually dry and cold, blowing from the northwest throughout the year, but most frequently in winter and spring.
Prehistory
The first human settlements in Gallura date back to 700.000 years ago, when the first populations crossed the strait between TuscanyTuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
and Sardinia. This historic period is known as the Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
.
Foreign populations decided to invade Gallura due to its numerous natural resources. Many people from the nearby French island of Corsica came as well to Gallura during this historic period.
Roman Age
Romans conquered Gallura in 238 BC and founded the city of OlbiaOlbia
Olbia is a town and comune of 56,231 inhabitants in northeastern Sardinia , in the Gallura sub-region. Called Olbia in the Roman age, Civita in the Middle Ages and Terranova Pausania before the 1940s, Olbia was again the official name of the town after the period of Fascism.-Geography:It is the...
, which represented the most important seaport in Sardinia.
The historic period that goes from 1700 BC to the Roman Age is also known in Sardinia as the epoca nuragica. The particular name of this historic period takes after the Nuraghi, the biggest megalithic edifices ever found in Europe, which still today represent a symbol for Sardinia.
The Giudicato of Gallura
During the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Gallura represented one of the four Giudicati of Sardinia. These Giudicati consist of four independent kingdoms in which Sardinia was divided at that time.
Civita
Civita
Civita is a Norwegian liberal think tank which gains support from, among others, the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise. In the beginning, it was led by Terje Svabø, but prominent Conservative Party politician Kristin Clemet took over on November 16, 2006 after having central roles in many...
(which today is known as Olbia) represented the capital of the Giudicato of Gallura and also the bishop’s see.
The Giudicato of Gallura included the today’s area of Gallura, the area surrounding the city of Nuoro
Nuoro
Nuoro is a city and comune in central-eastern Sardinia, Italy, situated on the slopes of the Monte Ortobene. It is the capital of the Province of Nuoro. With a population of 36,443 Nuoro is a city and comune (municipality) in central-eastern Sardinia, Italy, situated on the slopes of the Monte...
, and the area called Baronie.
End of Middle Age, Sixteenth Century, and Eighteenth Century
At the end of Middle Age, the city of Civita (today’s Olbia) takes the name of Terranova.Pirates from Arabia invaded the coasts of Gallura and people moved consequently from there to the hinterland. The city of Tempio became especially populated.
Between 1500 and 1700 there was a big emigration of people from the nearby French island of Corsica to Gallura. People from Corsica deeply influenced the language and the culture of Gallura, which still today is considered quite different from the culture and the dialects of the rest of Sardinia.
Nineteenth Century
During the nineteen century the bishop’s seeEpiscopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
was transferred from the city of Olbia to the city of Tempio, which also became a district’s capital.
Twentieth Century and Today
By the end of 1800 people started to move from the hinterland to the coasts. Eventually, tourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
increased this tendency even more, especially in the areas of Costa Smeralda
Costa Smeralda
The Costa Smeralda is a coastal area and tourist destination in northern Sardinia, 55 km long and covering more than 30 km². With white sand beaches, a golf club, private jet and helicopter service, and hotels costing up to US$2,000 - 3,000 per night in the peak season, the area has...
, Santa Teresa di Gallura, and San Teodoro
San Teodoro
San Teodoro may refer to:*Italy**San Teodoro , comune in the Province of Messina, Lombardy**San Teodoro , comune in the Province of Olbia-Tempio, Sardinia**San Teodoro , 6th century church of Rome*Philippines...
.
Today, Gallura represents the highest head income of the entire Sardinia.
Demographics
Gallura has a population of 143,921 people. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
has remarkably increased in small centers along the eastern coast and in the cities of Arzachena
Arzachena
Arzachena is a town and comune in the province of Olbia-Tempio, Sardinia, Italy. Arzachena is very close to the famous "Costa Smeralda" tourist area, and it is the administrative capital of the "Costa Smeralda" tourist area....
and Olbia. The population density of 12 municipalities out of 26 has however decreased (-4%) in centers located in the country -side and on the mountains. This tendency depends on the increase of the seaside tourism.
In general, Sardinia represents the Italian region with the lowest fertility rate (1.087 births per woman), and the region with the second lowest birth rate
Birth rate
Crude birth rate is the nativity or childbirths per 1,000 people per year . Another word used interchangeably with "birth rate" is "natality". When the crude birth rate is subtracted from the crude death rate, it reveals the rate of natural increase...
. These factors result positive towards the preservation of the natural environment.
Main Towns
OlbiaOlbia is a town of approximately 45.000 inhabitants. It represents the city with the highest population density of the entire Gallura. In 2005 it became an administrative capital together with Tempio-Pausania. They form the province called Olbia-Tempio.
Founded in 350 BC, it used to be one of the most important trade areas of the Mediterranean Sea.
Today, it represents the economic center of Sardinia due to its airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
, its seaport and also to its closeness to the famous Costa Smeralda tourist area.
Tempio Pausania
Tempio Pausania is a town of 13.800 inhabitants. Together with Olbia, it is the administrative capital of the province Olbia-Tempio.
Founded around 250 BC, Tempio Pausania is located 560m above the sea level. It represents both the geographical and the cultural capital of Gallura. Every year, thousands of tourists come to visit Tempio Pausania to assist to the characteristic carnevale (carnival), which takes place at the end of February.
Arzachena
Arzachena is a town of 12,080 inhabitants.
It represents the administrative capital of the “Costa Smeralda” tourist area. Founded in 1961 by the prince Karim Aga Khan, Costa Smeralda represents the most exclusive tourist area of Gallura.
Arzachena is also famous for its archeology. Its archeological sites include the LiMuri Tomba dei Giganti (Giants’ Grave).
La Maddalena
La Maddalena is part of an archipelago called Arcipelago della Maddalena. It is situated in the Straits of Bonifacio, which divide Sardinia from Corsica. La Maddalena represents the largest town of this archipelago, which includes the islands of Caprera, S. Stefano, Spargi, Budelli, S. Maria and Razzoli. La Maddalena represents an important tourist site in Gallura and the island of Caprera is famous for being the residence of the Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
.
Economy
The economy of Gallura is based mostly on tourism and hospitality due to the presence of Costa Smeralda and other world-famous sea sites.The primary sector is not as important as in the rest of Sardinia. It is based mostly on wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
production. Also sheep breeding, dairy production, and poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
farm are relevant.
The secondary sector is quite important. It is mostly based on cork work and mineral processing of granite. In fact, it is easy to find cork oaks in many parts of the region and the whole area is rich in granite, especially in vicinity of Monte Limbara.
Transportation
Gallura has one international airport (Olbia-Costa Smeralda Airport), which is situated in the city of Olbia. It represents one of the three international airports of Sardinia and the base of the Sardinian airline MeridianaMeridiana
Meridiana fly is an airline with its head office on the grounds of Olbia - Costa Smeralda Airport in Olbia, Sardinia, Italy. It is Italy's second largest airline operating domestic and European services, as well as intercontinental flights. The airline mainly operates out of Cagliari-Elmas Airport,...
, Italy’s third largest airline.
Another way to reach the region of Gallura is by ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
. The ferry companies operating on the Island are Tirrenia di Navigazione, Moby Lines, Corsica Ferry, Grandi Navi Veloci, Snav, SNCM, and CMN. They link the harbors of Olbia, Golfo Aranci, Santa Teresa di Gallura and Palau to the harbors of the Italian peninsula, France, Corsica, and Spain.
Language
ItalianItalian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and Sardinian
Sardinian language
Sardinian is a Romance language spoken and written on most of the island of Sardinia . It is considered the most conservative of the Romance languages in terms of phonology and is noted for its Paleosardinian substratum....
are the official languages of the island. However, different dialects characterize different areas of Sardinia. This dissimilarity is due to the various influences that immigrant populations from all over the world have brought along with them throughout history .
In Gallura, the main dialects are called logudorese sardinian and gallurese. Gallurese is not officially considered a Sardinian dialect since it is quite different from the most part of the other Sardinian dialects. It was influenced by Southern Corsican, the dialect spoken in the near-by French island of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, and by the one spoken in the Italian region of Tuscany.
Luras
Luras
Luras is a comune in the Province of Olbia-Tempio in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 190 km north of Cagliari and about 25 km west of Olbia...
and Padru
Padru
Padru is a comune in the Province of Olbia-Tempio in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 180 km north of Cagliari and about 15 km south of Olbia...
, a small town in the province of Olbia-Tempio, are the only areas in Gallura in where Gallurese is not spoken.
Environment
With 1,213,250 hectares of woods, Sardinia represents the Italian region with the largest forest extension. Regional landscape plans regulate building activities along the coasts, the forests, and other natural sites.National Parks
Sardinia has ten regional parks and three national parks. One out of these three national parks is located in Gallura and it is the Archipelago of La Maddalena’s National Park. This park is a world-famous tourist area due to the beauty of its beaches and to the one of its landscape, where granite rocks alternate with green areas. Today, the Archipelago of La Maddalena’s National Park represents the headquarters of the US navy in Italy.
Renewable Energies
Renewable energies have increased impressively during the recent years in Sardinia. Due to the windy climate, the most important renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
in Gallura is the wind power. During the past years however, the installation of wind power systems has been the subject of controversial debates due to its landscape impact.
External links
- Martina Di Marco Blog
- La Mia Sardegna
- Sardinia on WikipediaSardiniaSardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
- Sardegna Turismo-Tourism in Sardinia
- Analysis of Sardinia's Demographics
- Gallura in Tasca
- Gallura Sviluppo-Economics
- Itinerari-Tourism
- Info Sardinia
- Sardegna Ambiente-Environment
- Caica Sardegna-Environment