Costumes and jewellery from all over the island
Nuoro, the capital of the Barbagia, has been called "the Athens of Sardinia" because it gave birth to writers, poets and artists who told the soul of the island: among them Grazia Deledda, the only Italian woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, in 1926, whose birthplace is now a museum, the poet Sebastiano Satta, the sculptor Francesco Ciusa and the writer Salvatore Satta, author of "Il giorno del giudizio".
The most important museum in the city is the Museo del Costume, the Ethnographic Museum of Sardinian Life and Popular Traditions, housed in a building that recreates a traditional Sardinian village on the Sant'Onofrio hill. It holds the largest collection of traditional costumes from all over Sardinia, more than seven thousand objects: men's and women's costumes for every day and for celebrations, from every village on the island, each different in colours, fabrics, embroidery and headdresses; the precious jewellery in gold filigree, coral and silver, such as the "gioiello di fede", the wedding ring, and amulets against the evil eye; carpets, baskets, musical instruments, ceremonial breads with incredibly elaborate shapes and the carnival masks of the Barbagia. In the centre, the MAN, the Museum of Art of the Province of Nuoro, displays Sardinian and international contemporary art.
Tip: in August, the Feast of the Redeemer brings to Nuoro groups in traditional costume from all over the island, a living version of the museum.
Where it is
More things to see in Sardinia
Where to stay near Nuoro
Tours and activities nearby
Offers from GetYourGuide. Some links are affiliate links: if you book we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.