Nuoro was only really mentioned in historical records (as Nugoro) from late medieval times when it offered a safe haven for the inhabitants of Ottana who had run away from endemic malaria.
They must have been attracted by the fresh air wipping in from all sides and the work to be found at this hub for the zone's large agricultural trade.
Do visit the Museum of Sardinian Life and Popular Traditions in the city.
At the center of the Nuoro is the cathedral dedicated to 'Santa Maria della Neve'. Quite particular bearing in mind Sardinia's image as a fabulous summer destination.
Over 80% of the province of Nuoro is covered by mountains and hills.
It remains a wild and unpopulated zone. It holds the largest remaining oak forest in Europe and species of animals we have never heard of such as the 'mufflon' and 'goshawk'.
The very rare Sardinan oak trees, which weren't chopped down to build the islands railways, still grow here. As does the only virgin ilex forest in Italy at Sopramonte di Orgosolo.
The coastal strip is a rugged 45 kilometers of cliffs contained within the Gulf of Orosei and San Teodoro.
Inland these turn into canyons and deep ravines as well as a limestone area full of caves, grottoes and gushing springs.
Pockets of untouched countryside are also present, that's really untouched, ever.
The famous carnival masks from the area, called 'mamuthones', give an idea of the traditional life of superstition in the region.
You can buy your own from the villages of Mamoiada, Ottana or Orani.
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