Nuorese Cultural District
Orani
Description
Orani is an old village that still preserves its allure and authenticity and is known for its rich cultural, artistic, artisan and religious traditions.
Like nearby Sarule, Orani is at the foot of Monte Gonare, with flourishing natural surroundings and picturesque landscapes.
Home to artists, intellectuals and master artisans, Orani was the birthplace of two great Sardinian artists: Costantino Nivola and Mario Delitala.
The Museo Nivola is dedicated to the first, an internationally famed artist, while an interesting collection of woodcuts, etchings, lithographs and oil paintings by Delitala is on view in the former Franciscan monastery, annexed to the church of San Giovanni Battista, in the middle of the town.
Orani is also known for its religious tradition.
The town is home to numerous churches and sanctuaries, including the well-known sanctuary of Nostra Signora di Gonare (Our Lady of Gonare), which has drawn pilgrims from across Sardinia for centuries.
Another charming church is Nostra Signora d’Itria, which was built in the first half of the seventeenth century but is best known for its facade, which was decorated with graffito by the great Orani artist Costantino Nivola in 1958.
We should also note the church of Sant’Andrea Apostolo, which locals also call Torre Pisana (Tower of Pisa) or Campusantu Vetzu.
It was built between the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries in the Gothic-Aragonese style.
Abandoned in the early nineteenth century following a structural collapse, it has been repaired and is now visitable again and also a venue for numerous cultural events.
Thanks to support from the Region of Sardinia, the Municipality of Orani and the Fondazione Nivola, the project for the Pergola Village conceived by Costantino Nivola in 1953 is now underway.
The spirit of Nivola’s plan has been revived in Stefano Boeri’s interpretation of the large-scale public art project. The town’s historic centre, painted white and sky blue and protected by the shade of grapevines and pomegranate trees, is the perfect place for a stroll amidst shops and picturesque streets.
The whole area around Orani preserves important vestiges of the past: the old mines, now part of the Parco Geominerario della Sardegna (a geo-mining park), were the source for the steatite that was used for the stunning ornaments and extraordinary mother goddesses of the Sardinian Neolithic.
Orani unites history, art, traditions and natural beauty, offering visitors an opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture and authentic life of Sardinia.