Bandits and Murals at Orgosolo in Sardinia

August 31, 2008 by admin
Filed under Art and design, Europe, Sardinia, Sightseeing, Street art

There seems to be a tradition in the mountain villages of inland Sardinia of painting murals on shops and houses. Sometimes these relate to what the shop sells, other times they’re traditional scenes from everyday life. But one place where the murals have started to take over is the village of Orgosolo where the whole village has become an outdoor gallery of street-art.

Bandits and Murals at Orgosolo in Sardinia

So much so that the village has become a tourist attraction in its own right as people come to see and photograph the murals. As you know I love a good bit of street-art and so it was also high on my wish list to go and see Orgosolo. Unfortunately the children didn’t share my enthusiasm and after they’d taken cursory look I left them playing cards in a cafe fuelled by Fanta and gelato, while I wandered around with my husband.

Murals at Orgosolo in Sardinia

I wasn’t sure how the locals felt about the steady stream of people walking through their village to see the murals. Clearly there were shops and bars who were benefiting from the money spent by visitors on drinks and souvenirs, but there were also quite a few young men hanging around with close cropped hair and crepe soled boots who made me feel a little uncomfortable.

According to the guide-books, the village has a chequered past as a centre for vendettas, kidnappings and banditry in the first half of this centuary. The most famous bandit of them all, Graziano Mesiana, otherwise known as the Scarlet Rose came from this village, and after serving his time for murder returned to live in the area, where he occasionally acts as a tour guide – I bet he’d have a few tales to tell.

Murales at Orgosolo in Sardinia

I got the impression that the village is keen to move on from it’s violent history. Nevertheless there is clearly a tradition of political protest which is expressed in many of the murals, on themes such as war, poverty and hunger.

Bandits and Murals at Orgosolo in Sardinia	Bandits and Murals at Orgosolo in Sardinia
Bandits and Murals at Orgosolo in Sardinia	Bandits and Murals at Orgosolo in Sardinia

Many of the murals are by the artist, Francesco del Casino who was a teacher at the Orgosolo High school for 20 years before returning to his native Sienna, and you can see the influence of Picasso and the cubist movement in his work. Others are by artists and sculptors such as Pasquale Buesco, Vincenzo Floris and Massino Cantoni who come from Orgosolo and the surrounding area.

Bandits and Murals at Orgosolo in Sardinia

The mural painting started in the 1970s when teachers and students at the local high school decided to create outdoor posters to commemorate liberation and the Resistance movement. From posters the work moved on to murals with many of the works were created and supervised by Francesco Del Casino while he was an art teacher at the school. The murals have also been photographed and promoted by the local photographer, Kikinu, who has a studio in the village and has created books and postcards of the art works, which are on sale to visitors.

Bandits and Murals at Orgosolo in Sardinia

I was impressed by the quality of the artworks by Francesco Del Casino and also by the political messages which pulled no punches.

Bandits and Murals at Orgosolo in Sardinia

In some there was also the element of gentle humour which I detected elsewhere in Sardinia where the people are generally quite reserved. I loved these giant ladies having a gossip and the motorbikers creating havoc below. The caption reads Orgosolo, oasis of peace and tranquility.

Bandits and Murals at Orgosolo in Sardinia

It appears that Orgosolo is a place where things are not always what they seem, when you scratch beneath the surface.

Bandits and Murals at Orgosolo in Sardinia

Where else would you have such an artistic setting for a cash machine?

You can see all my photos of the Murals in Orgosolo on Flickr here.

Photo Friday – On the beach in Sardinia

August 29, 2008 by admin
Filed under Beaches, Europe, Leisure, Sardinia

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Today I’m joining in to Photo Friday with Debbie at Delicious Baby, to highlight those photos I which don’t quite fit into any other post but may have an interesting story befind them.

Old folk enjoying the beach in Sardinia

I saw this group of elderly locals on the beach while on holiday this month at Cala Gonone in Sardinia. They made an unusual sight among the families of holiday-makers with their towels and sun umbrellas and as I watched them, I made up a little story in my head.

Grandpa’s been suffering from swollen ankles and his doctor, knowing the healthy properties of salt water and sea bathing prescribes a daily bath of his legs in sea water. So after his siesta the small group make their way to the beach and settle him in the deckchair, while his devoted daughter bathes his feet, supported by advice from grandma and friendly chat from a passing neighbour. Grandpa feels pampered and relaxed after his paddle in the sea and returns home feeling much better for having been the centre of attention, just as the doctor knew he would.

Or could there be a completely different story behind this group of old folk enjoying their hour on the beach?

You can see the other Friday Photos by following the links from Delicious Baby here.

Window shopping for coral in Sardinia

August 23, 2008 by admin
Filed under Europe, Leisure, Sardinia, Shopping

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When on holiday I spend idle hours window shopping which I could never afford at home. I admire the handicrafts in shops designed to tempt the relaxed holiday-maker into parting with their money. Here on the coast of Sardinia there are many jewellery shops filled with coral jewellery, harvested from the seas around Alghero.

Coral Jewellery at Cala Gonone

Although it’s attractive, I always thought that it was better to enjoy the beauties of the sea by diving or snorkling, rather than removing shells or coral and destroying the natural environment. Am I wrong? It’s obviously not such a concern here in Sardinia. But if I’m tempted I think I’d rather splash out on the intricate gold or silver filigree jewellery which is also a traditional craft here in Sardinia.