Holiday Apartment in Ottana: Landscapes, Culture and Traditions

Ottana combines a landscape shaped by the Tirso River with Romanesque-Pisan architecture, archaeological heritage and distinctive local traditions. If you choose a holiday apartment in Ottana, you can make nature watching, sacred architecture, traces of early settlements and traditional festivals the focus of your stay.

Landscape between Plain and River

The municipality of Ottana features diverse vegetation in a river landscape shaped by the Tirso. At the same time, the area consists of an extensive plain that is only rarely interrupted by hills. At 560 metres, Monte Nieddu is the highest point in the Ottana area. The Tirso flows along the western side and forms Lago Omodeo a few kilometres downstream. In the habitat shaped by the Tirso near Ottana, brown hares, wild ducks, freshwater turtles and corncrakes can be found.

Churches, Art and Archaeological Heritage

The Chiesa di San Nicola is an example of Romanesque-Pisan architecture and was built from carefully worked basalt and trachyte blocks. An early medieval, possibly monastic church already stood beneath the present church. The Chiesa di San Nicola also houses the Pala di Ottana, a 14th-century polyptych from the Tuscan school. The Pala di Ottana is regarded as the first definitive evidence of a Sardinian court commission oriented towards continental art.

Ottana’s archaeological heritage includes domus de janas, dolmens, giants’ tombs, corridor nuraghi, sacred wells, Roman and medieval settlements, as well as Roman buildings with thermal baths. Nuraghe Bidinnannari, also known as Marasorighes, stands on a 246-metre-high trachyte plateau overlooking the Riu Liscoi. At its core is a corridor nuraghe, to which two towers were added later.

Masks, Dances and Festival Traditions

During Su Carrasegare in Ottana, wooden Merdules masks and Boes masks with cattle horns are worn; participants also wear sheepskins. The Holy Week rites culminate in S’iscravamentu, a theatrically presented religious performance accompanied by a Tenores choir. Sos Merdules traditionally make their first appearance on 17 January as part of the carnival season. Su ballu tzoppu is one of the traditions associated with Ottana and is a traditional circular dance performed to the rhythm of S’affuente.

Local Highlights for Planning Your Trip

Sa Filonzana is also one of the distinctive traditional motifs: she spins with a spindle, distaff and wool, and predicts a more or less fortunate or unfavourable future depending on the quality of the wine offered. S’Angule is a typical sweet from Ottana, traditionally prepared by families as an ex voto. When choosing your holiday apartment in Ottana, you can take these different focal points into account: the Tirso landscape and its wildlife are set against a local history shaped by churches, art, archaeological sites, masks, music and food.

Further destinations for planning your trip: Ovodda, Siniscola, Bortigali, Silanus, Austis, Fonni, Birori, Lodè

For the higher-level travel overview: Nuoro.