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Description
Urzulei, at the extreme north of Ogliastra, is located
some 500 meters above sea level on a steep slope at the foot
of the Supramonte mountain protected by the huge massif of
Monte Gruttas. The village origins are lost in the
darkness of times and there is controversy as to its name:
for some its origin is linked to a type of bramble, from
which the Greek toponym Urthula. For others it refers
to Orkulè engraved on the 1556 bell
of the local church of Sant’Antonio unfortunately
re-melted in 1954.
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The
territory is an extraordinary mosaic of natural beauties, an
intricate labyrinth of gorges, canyons, dolines, cliffs,
sinkholes, furrowed fields, abysses, pinnacles, fantastic
unexplored grottoes, vast forests of evergreen and deciduous
oaks, a wildlife unique in the world. With its 500 m high
cliffs, the gorge of Gorropu, the deepest canyon in
Europe, meets the eye in all its rugged beauty: a unique
natural sanctuary, attracting thousands of people year
round.
Scattered
on the territory are many Nuragic villages and giant’s
tombs, signs and living presence of remote times.
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