Cortes Apertas – a Festival of Sardinian Food.

Chestnuts, Cannonau Wines and Casu cheeses are just some of the culinary highlights you can enjoy if you venture into the lesser known interior of the island. One region in particular is known for its food and drink, the mountainous Barbagia, which extends from Gennargentu and is rich with chestnut and oak trees.

Here the 24 towns of the area have joined together to create an initiative called 'Cortes Apertas' (or in English 'open courtyards') which is held every Autumn, taking visitors on a journey of flavours to showcase the local products and recipes.

During the event, local residents open their doors and invite passersby to come in and taste traditional snacks and refreshments which of course include a glass of the traditional Cannonau, a full-bodied red wine that has become one of the symbols of Sardinia. The houses are built in a traditional style with local stone and the hosts offer an equally traditional welcome dressed in brightly coloured period costumes.

Apart from highlighting products, the festival also promotes the lesser known interior of the island. Sardinia is famous for its white beaches, sunny climate and crystal clear bathing waters but not many steps away from the coastline you can discover the mountains and small towns that lay just off the tourist trail. Key players in the food festival are Gavoi, Ollollai, Orune, Sorgono and Belvì, which are in the province of Nuoro, but this is not all that is on offer in this area.

Other hidden gems are the handmade rugs of Orune, woven on vertical looms, the honey nougat of Desulo, the carnival masks of Mamoiada and its well-known Mamuthones festival, the coloured murals of Orgosolo or the ‘pistoccus’ sweets of Fonni which are cooked using traditional wood burning ovens.

Many crafts and products are related to the farming industry that dominates the Sardinian interior, such as the flat bread ‘carasau’ that was taken by shepherds on their travels or the traditional cheeses.

Finally, take the opportunity to enjoy some wonderful singing from the tenor choirs that are a tradition in this area. Known all over Sardinia as well as internationally, the choirs of Ollolai, Neoneli and Bitti consist of four tenors who stand in a circle to sing and have even been recognised by UNESCO for their retention of traditional heritage.