Orgosolo
Encyclopedia
Orgosolo is a comune
(municipality) located in the Province of Nuoro
, in the Italian
region Sardinia
, at about 110 km north of Cagliari
and about 13 km south of Nuoro
.
The municipality is famous for its murales. These political paintings can be found on walls all over Orgosolo. Since about 1969, the murales reflect different aspects of Sardinia's political struggles but also deal with international issues.
Vittorio De Seta
's movie Banditi a Orgosolo
(1961) focuses on the past way of life in central Sardinia and on the phenomenon of "Banditry
" in the region. At one time Orgosolo was known as the "village of the murderers" due to its high crime rate. The inhabitants claimed to belong to the aboriginal Sardinian race, while other Sardinians speculated that they were descended from Gypsies or from a Roman
penal colony
. Bandits of the surrounding mountains used the church door to post notices of death sentence passed on their enemies.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
(municipality) located in the Province of Nuoro
Province of Nuoro
The Province of Nuoro is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia, Italy. Its capital is the city of Nuoro.It has an area of 3,934 km², and a total population of 161,444. The province is divided into 52 comuni, the largest of which are Nuoro , Siniscola , Macomer , and Dorgali...
, in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, at about 110 km north of Cagliari
Cagliari
Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 156,000 inhabitants, or about 480,000 including the outlying townships : Elmas, Assemini, Capoterra, Selargius, Sestu, Monserrato, Quartucciu, Quartu...
and about 13 km south of Nuoro
Nuoro
Nuoro is a city and comune in central-eastern Sardinia, Italy, situated on the slopes of the Monte Ortobene. It is the capital of the Province of Nuoro. With a population of 36,443 Nuoro is a city and comune (municipality) in central-eastern Sardinia, Italy, situated on the slopes of the Monte...
.
The municipality is famous for its murales. These political paintings can be found on walls all over Orgosolo. Since about 1969, the murales reflect different aspects of Sardinia's political struggles but also deal with international issues.
Vittorio De Seta
Vittorio De Seta
Vittorio De Seta was an Italian cinema director and screenwriter, considered one of the Italian cinema's great imaginative realists of the Sixties.- Biography :...
's movie Banditi a Orgosolo
Banditi a Orgosolo
Banditi a Orgosolo is a 1960 Italian film drama directed by Vittorio De Seta. The film stars Vittorina Pisano. De Seta won an Award for the film at the Venice Film Festival.-Cast:*Vittorina Pisano ... Mintonia...
(1961) focuses on the past way of life in central Sardinia and on the phenomenon of "Banditry
Banditry
Banditry refers to the life and practice of bandits which the Oxford English Dictionary defines as "one who is proscribed or outlawed; hence, a lawless desperate marauder, a brigand: usually applied to members of the organized gangs which infest the mountainous districts of Italy, Sicily, Spain,...
" in the region. At one time Orgosolo was known as the "village of the murderers" due to its high crime rate. The inhabitants claimed to belong to the aboriginal Sardinian race, while other Sardinians speculated that they were descended from Gypsies or from a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
penal colony
Penal colony
A penal colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general populace by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory...
. Bandits of the surrounding mountains used the church door to post notices of death sentence passed on their enemies.