Barbagia and Nuoro area · Provincia di Nuoro

Things to do in Gadoni

Things to do in Gadoni, Sardinia: Funtana Raminosa copper mine, Sa Stiddiosa waterfall, Flumendosa valley hikes, crafts and festivals.

Gadoni, Sardegna — © User: Leleottantatre · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

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Gadoni is a mountain village in the Barbagia di Belvì, perched at around 700 metres on the slopes of the Gennargentu, above the Flumendosa valley. Its name is tied to the Funtana Raminosa mine, where copper was worked as early as the Nuragic age and which is now an industrial heritage museum. Around the village you'll find canyons, waterfalls, caves and plateaus. It's a place for wild nature, mining history and living traditions.

What to see in Gadoni

Funtana Raminosa mine

Part of Sardinia's Geomining Park. Nuragic people, Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans all mined and worked copper here; the tunnels were reopened in the 20th century and work stopped in 1980. Today the buildings, machinery and galleries tell the miners' story.

The village and churches

The oldest district is laid out in a semicircle. See the parish church of the Assunta and the church of Santa Marta, the patron saint.

Sa Stiddiosa and the Flumendosa valley

On the border with Seulo, Sa Stiddiosa is a moss-covered rock face where water drips into a small pool. Along the Flumendosa there are natural pools and the Is Caddaias waterfall. A bridge built in the 1980s, among the highest in Europe, links the village to the far bank.

Corongia plateau and Lattinazzu

Corongia is a tableland similar in shape to the Giara; the Lattinazzu cliffs rise to about 100 metres, with the Su Campanili pinnacle. There are also caves such as Gruttas Albas.

Things to do in Gadoni

Hiking and horse-riding routes lead to Corongia, the Flumendosa valley and the Crontas woods. A guided tour of the mine is the most unusual experience; in summer the river pools are perfect for cooling off after a walk. To pick the right route, have a look at the experiences offered by local operators below.

History

The area was inhabited in pre-Nuragic and Nuragic times, and its copper has shaped its story ever since. In the Middle Ages Gadoni belonged to the Judicate of Arborea, then to the Marquisate of Oristano and the Aragonese. In 1768 it became part of the county of Santa Sofia and in 1839 it was freed from feudal rule. When the mine closed, many people emigrated.

What to eat and buy

Honey, cheeses and roast meats are the basis of the local table. Typical breads include pistoccu, mustazzu a corrusu, pani 'e pattata (potato bread) and cocoi erda. The signature craft is sa burra, a wool rug woven by women on a horizontal loom and once used as a blanket; woodwork and woven saddlebags, sa bertula, are also made.

Festivals and traditions

Santa Marta, patron saint, late July.
Is fraccheras, on the night between 1 and 2 November: young people walk through the village with asphodel torches, led by children ringing cowbells.
Santa Barbara, patron of miners, early December at the mine, together with the Autunno in Barbagia event.
For Corpus Domini, balconies and windowsills are draped with traditional rugs.

Nearby

Seulo, with Su Stampu 'e su Turrunu.
Belvì and its natural history museum.
Aritzo, the chestnut village.
Meana Sardo and the Nolza nuraghe.

Getting there and when to go

Gadoni is in the centre of the island: about two hours' drive from Cagliari-Elmas airport, a little over an hour from Nuoro, on winding mountain roads. Spring and early summer are ideal for waterfalls and hiking; in November and December the is fraccheras and Santa Barbara traditions give you another reason to come.