Gavoi
Encyclopedia
Gavoi is a comune
in central Sardinia
(Italy
), part of the province of Nuoro
, in the natural region of Barbagia
. It overlooks the Lake of Gusana
.
colony (allegedly from the 4th century AD) and in the 17th century was repopulated by Tuscan
carbon-makers.
church of San Gavino
is Gavoi's foremost sacred spot, through there are eight other ancient churches in the village. The village's center contains rock houses with balconies, and a village fountain is known as "Antana 'e Cartzonna".
Near the lake are the archaeological areas of Orrui and San Michele di Fonni
. A Roman bridge
is submerged beneath the lake.
).
" is a traditional drum made of dog or donkey skin. The tumbarinu is often accompanied with the pipiolu, the traditional sheppard's fife. The "ballu tundu
", is a traditional dance in the round, as in the Balkan area. Poetry is esteemed, including extemporaneous rhyme competitions on given topics.
The nearby Sanctuary of Madonna d'Itria hosts a palio
, in this case a peculiar horse competition very similar to that of Siena
.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
in central Sardinia
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...
), part of the province of Nuoro
Province of Nuoro
The Province of Nuoro is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia, Italy. Its capital is the city of Nuoro.It has an area of 3,934 km², and a total population of 161,444. The province is divided into 52 comuni, the largest of which are Nuoro , Siniscola , Macomer , and Dorgali...
, in the natural region of Barbagia
Barbagia
Barbagia is a mountain area of inner Sardinia. It is mostly comprised in the province of Nuoro and located alongside the Gennargentu massif....
. It overlooks the Lake of Gusana
Gusana
Gusana is the name of an artificial lake and of the surrounding area, in the territory of Gavoi, Sardinia, Italy.The lake was built in the 1930s to store water for an electricity generator , and it covered an ancient Roman bridge as well as an ancient archaeological site of the Nuragici people.It...
.
History
Gavoi was a very ancient HebrewHebrews
Hebrews is an ethnonym used in the Hebrew Bible...
colony (allegedly from the 4th century AD) and in the 17th century was repopulated by Tuscan
Tuscany
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 ....
carbon-makers.
Main sights
The RomanRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
church of San Gavino
San Gavino
Saint Gavinus is a Roman Catholic saint who is greatly celebrated in Sardinia, Italy, as one of the Martiri turritani , along with his companions Saints Protus and Januarius....
is Gavoi's foremost sacred spot, through there are eight other ancient churches in the village. The village's center contains rock houses with balconies, and a village fountain is known as "Antana 'e Cartzonna".
Near the lake are the archaeological areas of Orrui and San Michele di Fonni
Fonni
Fonni is a town and comune in Sardinia, in the province of Nuoro .It is the highest town in Sardinia, and situated among fine scenery with some chestnut woods. Fonni is a winter sports centre with a ski lift to Monte Spada and Bruncu Spina....
. A Roman bridge
Roman bridge
Roman bridges, built by ancient Romans, were the first large and lasting bridges built. Roman bridges were built with stone and had the arch as its basic structure....
is submerged beneath the lake.
Economy
Agriculture production include potatoes and cheese (the town is famous for its pecorinoPecorino
Pecorino is the name of a family of hard Italian cheeses made from ewe's milk. The word derives from pecora meaning ‘sheep’, also from the Latin pecora meaning livestock....
).
Traditions and culture
The "tumbarinuTumbarinu
Tumbarinu are Sardinian drums made with dog or donkey skin. They are a characteristic folk instrument of Gavoi....
" is a traditional drum made of dog or donkey skin. The tumbarinu is often accompanied with the pipiolu, the traditional sheppard's fife. The "ballu tundu
Ballu tundu
Ballu tundu or ballu bardu is a traditional Italian folk dance from the island of Sardinia which is typically danced in a closed or open circle. The dance was described as early as 1805 by Mameli and by La Marmora in 1825...
", is a traditional dance in the round, as in the Balkan area. Poetry is esteemed, including extemporaneous rhyme competitions on given topics.
The nearby Sanctuary of Madonna d'Itria hosts a palio
Palio
The oldest extant palio is the Palio di Asti, but the Palio di Siena is better known internationally. There are many other palios that are held throughout the various regions of Italy. Here follows an incomplete list:-Tuscany:...
, in this case a peculiar horse competition very similar to that of Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
.