Irgoli
Irgoli lies in the geographical territory of Sardinia called “Bassa Baronia” ( en.“Lower Baronage”). This region borders with the mountain area of Barbagia on its southern and western sides, with the Tyrrhenian Sea on its eastern side and with the Gallura geographical area on its northern side. Irgoli lies on the East Coast of the island and is beautifully situated in the Cedrino River Valley, protected on its northern side by Mount Senes, a granite mountain which offers astonishing views and strong emotions to nature lovers. Suggestive landscapes are offered by the schistic old plateau and the thick secular ilex forests in the natural reserves of Su Padente and Talachè. Here, there are also the typical elements of mediterranian's flora like Myrtle ("sa murta"), Cistus ("su mutrecu"), Mastic tree ("sa chessa"), Juniper ("su ghiniperu"), Strawberry tree ("su lidone") and Oak ("su kerku"). This area has also a very rich variety of fauna, since here you might meet different species of animals like the partridge ("sa perdighe"), the goshawk ("s'astore"), the fox ("su mariane") and the wild boar ("su sirvone"). The village of Norghio is also worth a visit and it is renowned for its springs, which still provides the drinkable water to the town.
Irgoli is a village where the most important economical activities are still agriculture and sheep-farming, but over the last few years Irgoli has known a growing tourist development, thanks to the exploitation of the local resources and products, like pane carasau (a Sardinian local bread) its cold cuts and its red and full-bodied wines. The cultural and recreational events organized by the local government in Irgoli (but also in the other neighbouring municipalities) are more and more frequent and every year they enliven the “Lower Baronage” summertime. The main traditional feasts are celebrated in May (the patron feast of St. Nicholas from Bari and the country feast of St. Michael) in August (the Sant’Antioco local feast and the Regional Festival of the barrel-organ which dates from 1986) and in September (the country feast of St. Michael and the International Festival of the Popular Religious Songs).
Besides, the origin of the name "Irgoli" is very unusual. In fact, the legends tell us about an ancient hamlet called Dori Mannu, which was supposed to lie on the southern side of the village that today is called Santo Stefano. In many historical documents the name of this little town appears in different ways with several toponyms: Ligori, Dori Locum, Hircus, Hirculus, Irculi, Ircule, Irguoli and finally Irgoli. This town, that in the Early Middle Age belonged to the “curatoria” (the former jurisdictional districts of the indigenous little kingdoms of Sardinia, the “giudicati”) of Galtelli and Orosei, was then held under the control and influence of the Maritime Republic of Pisa and later, it was subdued to the Aragonese Crown. There are also many archaeological sites, whose principal attractions are the "Nuraghes" (a particular kind of megalithic monuments which only exist in Sardinia).
There are several examples of these pre-historic buildings in the area, like the Nuraghe of Tutturu, near the picturesque village of Ortòla. This latter is characterized by the presence of rocks with different and original shapes, moulded by the atmospheric agents. But there are also many other sites belonging to the ‘nuragic culture’, like the Nuraghe of Luminìe, the Nuraghe of Alinoe, those of Santu Andria, the Nuraghe of Norgòe and the beautiful Nuraghe of Janna 'e Prunas. Don’t miss the rock chamber tomb of "Sa conca e mortu" (in the Sardinian dialect “the Head of the Dead" = the skull) which is the most picturesque and suggestive among the "Domus de Jana" ("House of the Fairies/Witches " in the Sardinian dialect - Artificial caves cut in the rock during the Stone Age and used like burial-place), whose doorway of stone looks like a human skull.