Municipality of Orgosolo

Orgosolo is a small village situated in the central eastern part of Sardinia, at about 17 miles from Nuoro, the capital of the province. Most of its territory, which stretches from the Valley of the river Cedrino up to the National Park of Gennargentu, is mountainous and covered by ancient forests of oak, yew, juniper trees and lush Mediterranean vegetation. To the south, the Supramonte is a great natural reserve rich in wild fauna (such as boars, mouflons, dormouses, martens, golden eagles etc.) and autochthonal species of plants and flowers. The territory is also exceptionally rich in archaeological sites (such as menhir, dolmen, nuraghi, domus de janas and tombs of giants etc.).
Orgosolo is especially famous for its skillful tradition of Murales. More than 150 Murales can be found on walls all over Orgosolo. They have been used as a form of political and social protest. Since about 1969 the Murales have reflected both political struggles in Sardina and historical events of national and international interest. Currently, Murales are becoming the object of an operation of heritage conservation.
Orgosolo has nearly 4.500 residents. It is one of the most populous rural villages of the region, even though it have been suffering from depopulation and ageing in recent decades. The primary source of income in the area is agriculture and sheep farming, although forestry, craftsmanship and construction industry are very important activities for the economy of Orgosolo.
The Tourism Industry is also very important for Orgosolo, it is an expanding sector: more than 65,000 tourists visited Orgosolo last year. Orgosolo is the most visited of Sardinia’s inland village. Indeed tourism has promoted the development of businesses such as shops, hotels, restaurants, b&b, tour operators and Ecotourism Business.
Orgosolo is one of the stop-offs on the annual festival "Autunno in Barbagia". The festival (organized by the ASPEN Nuoro Chamber of Commerce) promotes traditional foods, crafts, folk songs and dance.
Orgosolo still practices the ancient tradition of the cultivation of silkworms in order to produce the silk that is worked by the skilled hands of Orgosolo women to make “su lionzu, the headgear of the Orgosolo traditional costume for women, unmistakable for its rich embroidery and the variety of colors.
Orgosolo’s national and international level of renown permits, along with the spreading of its name, the diffusion of several ethnic and traditional aspects of the culture appertaining to Sardinia’s internal zone, such as the tenore, the typical male chorus of three voices plus a soloist, declared an “Oral and intangible Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO in 2008.
Despite the economic and social crisis, young people (particularly those aged 18 – 30) have found in volunteering and in sport a way for personal growth, social development and growing friendships.
Many sports and recreational activities are possible in Orgosolo: football, tennis, volleyball, softball (whose women's team plays in the national championship series A2) etc. Most of these activities are headed by the Polisportiva Supramonte that nowadays has about three hundred members and it has been operating in the area since 1969.

With regard to youth policies the municipality of Orgosolo has gone in several projects aimed at:
- to achieve the ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) certification and the "Multimedia" at school/ and at work;
- develop greater awareness of the environmental conservation policies and methods;
- improve the use of the English language;
- promote cultural exchanges with other countries (Italy and France);
- promote training and educational interventions aimed at young people and their families;
- promote active labor market policies for young through job placement and self-employment;
- combat early school leaving and social problems;
- implement interventions against violence and abuse;
- promote cultural activities related to art, music, sport and environment.

The above-mentioned activities have been realized with funding provided by POR Sardegna (Sardinian Regional Operational Program), and by National Operational Programs (FESR and FSE).