AGGIUS
Aggius is a town in Gallura, in Northeast Sardinia. It is part of a list of Borghi Autentici of Italy, with its famous orange flag recognised by the Italian Touring Club.
The History of Aggius
The origins of Aggius are rooted in ancient history. The name itself could derive from the Greek “aghios” which means “sacred”, from the Latin “agnus” that means “lamb” from the area’s agricultural history, or potentially from “ajus”, in reference to the rebellious spirit of the ancient villagers.
The very first historical remains of this Gallurian village are from the 1350s, when the King of Aragon included it on a list of villas he owned. Over the course of the centuries, Aggius was fought over by many powers from Aragon to Spain to the Savoia family.
Nowadays the town is recognised in the area as one of the most ancient and unique in the Northeast of Sardinia.
The Beaches Near Aggius
Though not beach-facing, Aggius is well connected to the northeastern coast. One of the most beautiful sea fronts near Aggius is Naracu Nieddu beach in the municipality of Aglientu.
It’s a huge, quiet, sandy beach surrounded by a spectacular sea with incredible shades from the light green near the coast to the tones of blue that get darker the further out you go.
The beach of Naracu Nieddu is connected by a thin line of sand to the spectacular beaches of Lu Littaroni and Della Piana, underrated beaches even during the peak season in July and August.
Here too the sea is crystal clear, with colours of turquoise mixing with emerald greens and dark blues, and the seabed is shallow and sandy which makes room for young swimmers. Not only that, lovers of diving and snorkelling will feel right at home here thanks to simply gorgeous depths full of marine biodiversity to explore and observe up close.
Finally, the beach of Monte Russu in the Aglientu area is distinguished by the lush pinewood that surrounds it, which offers a large area of shade to hide from the torrid heat in.
Sights To See In Aggius
While it is a small burg in Gallura, Aggius has several monuments and points of interest worth exploring. One of them is the Museo del Banditismo, placed in the local ancient palace. It’s a museum made of several halls that tells the story of the development of banditry in Aggius, with descriptions of the most famous bandits and their deeds during the family feuds of the 1800s.
Worthy of mention is also the historical centre of Aggius, made entirely of lanes and corridors that form a trail delineated by colourful signs and drawn footsteps on the ground to direct tourists in the right direction. Walking through the roads of the city centre, you can still hear the local choir sing “Galletto di Gallura”, a preferred song by the older members of Aggius.
The town is also full of a multitude of murals that decorate the streets, placed on various surfaces from doors to garages to shop fronts. And finally, something else to point out is the Museo Etnografico Olivia Carta Cannas, the biggest ethnographic museum in Sardinia; a beautiful collection that tells the tales, traditions and habits of the island throughout history.
Sights To See Near Aggius
Even the outskirts of Aggius are full of tourist spots. One of the most celebrated is the Piana dei Grandi Sassi, also known as Valle Della Luna in the area of Santa Teresa Gallura: a giant clearing full of rocks of different heights and shapes thanks to wind erosion, which give the area its name. One of the most famous is the Testa di Platone, a granitic rock that looks like a man’s face.
Not very far away from Aggius there are two museums, the Museo dell’Accabadora di Luras and the Museo del Sughero di Calangianus. The former discusses the origins of the legendary figure of the Accabadora, the latter combines various exhibitions to show the process of creating the world’s most used material for bottle caps.