Sardinia Unveiled: Authentic Food, Culture, Wild & Blue Zones | Wonders of Italy

South of Corsica and 500 kilometers west of Italy is a real paradise. The island of Sardinia, a land with a rich history of lost civilizations and pagan legends. Nature, fine food or an azure blue sea, Sardinia has many attractions to enchant the traveler. An island adventure in search of a people, their language and their culture. Far from the tourist spots and fancy beach resorts, the island offers an alternative adventure to the discerning traveler. From north to south, from the coast to the countryside, join us for a colorful journey to Sardinia's heartland. On May the 1st every year, Sardinians gather in the center of the island's capital, Cagliari, for the festival of San Efficio. The inhabitants of each village parade in traditional costume. According to legend, San Efficio, a Christian martyred by the Romans, reappeared on May the 1st 1656 to rid Sardinia of the plague, which had already taken half its population. A procession and celebrations in his honor take place every year. It's the oldest and longest Italian religious procession. It takes four days and covers 65 kilometers. Even today, the population's enthusiasm for the festival hasn't decreased. The most devout gather in the church of San Efficio to be amongst the first to touch the float that carries the martyr's statue. In the streets, the faithful show how important this event is for Sardinians. San Efficio is an emotion that repeats and grows with each passing year. The best thing is that it gathers people together, the old and the young. It's glorious, quite wonderful. It's the emotional high spot of the year as always. The sound of the traditional instrument, the lamedas, accompanies the procession. Michele is one of the few young Sardinians that still make them. His workshop tells the story of an instrument shrouded in mystery. Its origins date back 3,000 years to Africa and the Middle East, where it was used for magical ritual. It first came to Sardinia in the early 19th century. Its sound is from a living element, the reed. Each cane is different and you never know how a new bit of reed will sound. When I make one, I always hope it'll sound exceptional. The secret to its haunting sound is this notch, barely two centimetres long. The reed vibrates throughout the body. Playing it is almost therapeutic. Playing the lamedas requires circular breathing. The air must be continually under pressure, independent of the breathing process. The cheeks are used as an air reserve, a bit like the bag of a bagpipe. Cagliari shows traces of its past throughout the city. Several civilisations have settled here, from the Roman Empire to the Habsburgs' imperial Spain. There are even signs of settlements dating from the Neolithic period. High in the city is Porta Cristina. It takes its name from Maria Cristina of Naples and Sicily, Queen of Sardinia in the early 19th century. Just behind it is the San Pancrazio Tower, a symbol of the domination of Pisa. As Cagliari's highest tower, it defended the city against numerous attacks by Genoans, Moors and Arabs. Its doorway is the principal entrance to the fortified part of the Castello district. 500 metres further south, towards the sea, is the Elephant Tower, the other historic entrance to the citadel. It is named after the elephant statue overlooking the doorway. Another doorway is named after an animal, the lion door, with its two sculpted lion's heads. The San Remy Bastion is a 19th century architectural gem that shouldn't be missed. It is also a favourite meeting point for Vespa enthusiasts, the iconic Italian scooter. It was invented at the end of the Second World War. Following the German and Italian defeat, the Piaggio company no longer had the right to build aeroplanes, so they built a new modern and economical mode of transport. It could be ridden by men and women, and Italian style naturally demanded that the riders' clothes stayed clean. The Vespa, meaning wasp in Italian, saw the light of day. Its name was inspired by the buzz of its engine, and it rapidly stung the Italian heart. It became a planetary success in less than 10 years. Factories sprung up throughout Europe, Brazil and even India. 19 million scooters were sold worldwide. There are more than 50,000 clubs in the world for lovers of the wasp-sized scooter. For Maurizio, chairman of the Cagliari Vespa Club, it's a love story that's lasted for over 40 years. It was love at first sight for me, because of its curved shape, it's curved everything, its fairing, its bumpers, its saddle. The first time I rode a Vespa, I felt totally free. Vespa lovers are ageless, they're perpetual teenagers. I once did a thousand kilometers in 19 hours. That was my wildest day's ride. Maurizio and his friends drive along the coast to Poets Beach. It's opposite the Devil's Saddle, a rocky promontory that gained its name from the saddle shape and the accompanying legend of a battle on horseback between angels and the devil. Once beaten, Satan left his saddle on the mountain, and the Gulf of Cagliari became commonly known as the Gulf of Angels. The little group are heading out of town to Punta Tretu, a place unknown to tourists and to most Sardinians. This narrow sand spit is 700 meters long. Edged with pines, it separates the sea from the San Antioco lagoon. The wind blows from all directions, all year round, making it the best kite surfing spot in Sardinia. Several kilometers to the west, in the Porto Pino valley, a southerly wind called Libecio blows its sea breezes over the Carignan vineyards. This typically Sardinian grape variety grows on the hillside facing the sea. It has a powerful bouquet of black fruits. Riccardo is a wine expert that looks after the vines of the Sant'Adi cooperative. I'm the son of a vintner, and I grew up in the Carignan vines. It's a family thing. I feel a bit like the head of the family, because I'm trying to take us forward, whilst respecting the past, the land and local traditions. This land, made up of sandy soil, helped the vines resist phylloxera, an insect pest native to America, which decimated European vineyards in the late 19th century. This terroir grows 100-year-old grape varieties that belong to both modern and traditional Sardinia. This wine is in the heart and veins of the Sardinian people. Wine has been made in Sardinia for two or three thousand years. That's a heavy responsibility to bear, a considerable heritage. A powerful nectar with a story to tell from time immemorial. Excavations have shown that Sardinian wine existed more than a thousand years before the reign of the first Roman emperor. 50 kilometres to the north, near the town of Iglesias, is the starting point of the Santa Barbara Street of Mines trek. With more than 30 stages covering 500 kilometres, hikers find themselves deep in Sardinian mining country. The dirt track winds through a landscape of hills, vineyards, marshes and coastline. Mining dates back to the 6th century before the common era. The fortunes of the island's 59 mine owners were made from zinc, lead, iron, copper and silver. One of the signature sites of the Street of Mines is La Marmora, the old ore washery. The ruin is known for its steep walled arches rising up from pink granite cliffs overlooking the sea. Exporting ore to the continent was quite a process. The ore wagons had to be unloaded, then loaded by hand onto small sailing ships before being loaded onto larger cargo ships. Exorbitant transportation costs restricted Sardinian mining activity, but in the mid-20th century an engineer revolutionised loading methods. The Belgian mining company Vieilles Montagnes asked Cesare Vecelli, a local engineer, to devise a system that enabled the train wagons to be directly unloaded onto cargo ships. He created Portoflavia, an ingenious facility dug into the rock overlooking the sea in a deep water zone accessible to heavy cargo ships. Even today it's still possible to tour Portoflavia. Deep in one of the 600 metre long galleries, a child's photo draws the visitor's eye. The engineer's daughter Flavia gave her name to the seaport suspended between land and sea. We're beneath Portoflavia. It's not a mine, but a port containing nine storage reservoirs, nine enormous pits to stock the ores dug from the surrounding mines, essentially Galena. Matteo is a tour guide. It's a family of Belgian tourists on his boat. Malvina, her daughter Victoria and husband John. My grandfather was from this part of Sardinia, so it's fascinating to learn about it. Coming here to discover the port and its history is like a pilgrimage for me. This is the Sugarloaf Rock. At 130 metres it's the highest rock in the Mediterranean. Matteo is taking the family to places that most people never see. It's so much better for Malvina and her family to go alone to see these real Sardinian treasures rather than with the standard guided tour. Now we're in the Blue Grotto, named after the colour of the water. But if you look over to the exit point, you'll see the edge of the rock, it's shaped like Sardinia. So it's known as the Blue Grotto or the Sardinian Grotto. Now that you've seen the Sugarloaf and Portoflavio, I'll take you to a little cove, to my favourite beach. The crew head towards Masur, an idyllic cove where a little beach restaurant offers local specialities to those in the know. In the kitchen, Chef Tamara, originally from Turin, in Northern Italy, is reinterpreting Sardinian recipes. I chose Sardinia five years ago. I fell in love with the place for its cooking and the sea. Today's lunch menu is an island classic, La Fregola, a pearl-shaped pasta. In Piedmont, we mostly work with meat, but it's completely different here. I'm cooking seafood from this fantastic sea. It's my heaven on earth. A succulent mix of mussels, calamari and giant pink prawns. Further north and further inland, numerous little villages have other surprises in store. The villagers of Arbus have been keen iron workers since antiquity. The tradition is still being maintained by a keen knife maker. Paolo is a master cutler from father to son. He's been working his trade for 60 years. Sardinian knife making is part of the islander's identity. Sardinians always have a knife in their pocket, all of them. Knives are always useful. If you haven't got one, you need one. If you have, you can use it for anything. For cleaning your fingernails, anything you like. For cutting bread and cheese, chopping meat for sausages. What would a hunter do without one? What would a shepherd do without a knife? For us, it's not a weapon. It's not dangerous. It's a friend that is always there to help you. My favorite moment is when I install the ring to the handle. The ring controls everything, the handle as well as the blade. When it's finished, you breathe in and say, beautiful. Or you say, well, I could have done better. Paolo's true pride and joy is at the entry to his workshop. At 4 meters 85 long, its 2 centimeter thick blade weighs 295 kilos, making it the heaviest knife in the world. It's even recorded in the famous book of records. Just opposite, Paolo has transformed his parents' old house into a knife museum. There are traditional swords still worn ceremonially. This is the blade of one of the earliest knives used on the island over 3,000 years ago. There are various other Sardinian models, such as the Guspinesa, with its short blade and curved handle. The museum also houses a wonderful collection of a knife that typifies the village of Arbus. It's easily recognizable by its curved blade and bone handle, often engraved with animals. It's a hunter's tool, designed specially for butchering game. The love of the blade is not confined to men. This tiny knife was offered by men to their intended wives. The Pineta Cocoi truly served as an engagement ring. On heading north into the Orestano region, the village of Bosa is a destination not to be missed. With its pastel-colored buildings lining the banks of the river Timo, it's often considered to be Italy's prettiest village. Bosa was established in the 9th century by Phoenicians, the ancestors of the Lebanese and Syrian people. On Serravalli hill lies the ruined castle of the Tuscan family Malaspina. Built in the 12th century, it serves as a reminder of the power of the Republic of Pisa in Sardinia. Just below is the Sacosta district. It was a working class area until it was abandoned in the last century, in favor of the coast. But it is now much appreciated by tourists. Going down towards the river Timo, through the narrow streets of the Bosa Nuova district, the sound of Sardinia can be heard. On the premises of Bosa's polyphonic choir, four men known as Canto Itragio are singing one of the village's most symbolic songs, Bosa Resurrected. Gigi leads the traditional choir. Anyone can sing, any villager that wants to sing can come and sing. Seeing four generations singing together is wonderful and vital. We inherit the tradition, then we pass it on. Sardinian polyphonic singing is inscribed in UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list. The language of our songs is Sardinian. It's not a dialect, but a language, and we're proud of it. We try to keep it alive. Singing is very important in Sardinia, it promotes and enhances our language. In Sardinia, languages and dialects cohabit with Italian. At less than 50 kilometers from Bosa, Catalan is spoken. Alguero is the only Italian town where Catalan is officially spoken. Known as the Agaresi dialect, this cultural remnant dates back to the 14th century, when the region was conquered by the Kingdom of Aragon, which expelled the local population. It's one of the rare Italian towns to have preserved most of its fortifications. On the ramparts, there's a replica of one of the catapults used to defend the town against the This is the Torre dell'Esperone Real. Its walls are an impressive six meters thick. It says something about the spirit of Sardinian women, as they defended it against the Viscount of Narbonne in the 15th century. It's also been known as Sulis Tower since the 19th century, named after the revolutionary Vicenzo Sulis, who was imprisoned there for 22 years. Today it houses temporary exhibitions. Almost everywhere in the historic center's shop windows, a bright color draws the eye. The town is nicknamed the City of Red Gold, due to an abundant source of red coral along its coastline. This colony-forming marine animal lives principally in the Mediterranean. The ecosystem of the Gulf of Alguero allows it to grow at a rate of up to It can be found several meters deep, but it mostly thrives at depths of 30 to 400 meters. A unique material much prized by jewelers for its color and workable nature. Once cut and polished, a second life awaits it beneath the expert eye and hand of the craftsman. The Marognia family have been making jewelry since the 1950s. Whether sculpted or made into jewelry, its forms are highly varied. This necklace of handmade beads is valued at over 50,000 euros. Red coral is sometimes used for handles of the Pineta Cocoi. Some of them could win the title of the smallest Sardinian knife in the world. Despite being fished by traditional methods since antiquity, these colonies of little red animals nearly disappeared in the last century. Advances in deep sea diving meant deeper and greater access to the coral beds, which led to overfishing and the threat of extinction. Today their fishing is highly protected and sustainable. People come from all over the world to see them underwater. Gadot has been an underwater guide and instructor for over 30 years. The sea is his first and foremost passion. My first underwater trip was with my father. I was seven. I felt a deep sense of space and infinity. The valve must stay fully open because at 20 meters down you use three times more air. Sardinia has great riches concealed beneath the waves. It's a true pleasure to take tourists to see the red coral in its natural state and not at the jewelers. But beauty must be hunted for. The finest specimens are found at a depth of at least 30 meters. They can often only be seen in the dark underwater caves. The colonies are usually five to twenty centimeters across. Their red colored skeleton is called a polyp and is made of calcium carbonate. On the top are numerous white polyps. In summer the male polyps sperm combines with female polyps eggs in the water. The fertilized egg attaches itself to a rock where it too becomes a polyp. Every year only 70 tons can be fished from the Mediterranean. Another rare and protected species thrives in the Sardinian waters. Also known as the loggerhead turtle, they live for about 60 years generally in coastal waters at 13 to 28 degrees. They measure up to a meter long and weigh up to 140 kilos. Between June and the end of August the loggerheads lay their eggs on Sardinian beaches. But many of them die in the Mediterranean. The international community has put them on the endangered species list, chiefly due to human activity. Fishing nets and litter constitute their principal hazards. In northwest Sardinia a recovery center has been treating damaged turtles since 2006. It's on Asinara island where there is over 50 kilometers of almost uninhabited protected reserve. Grama, the recovery center, is within the magnificent bay of Calareal. There are currently four turtles in the clinic. Laura, the director, and Roberta, the biologist, are doing everything they can for them. Gioia, a 20 year old female, is being given her favorite meal. Today Gioia is being given fresh mussels. We found her floating after a collision with a boat. She'd lost her front left flipper. We treated her for a few months. She was anemic. She couldn't eat so we fed her for nearly nine months with a feeding tube. Now she's a lot better and we'll soon be able to set her free. Loggerheads are carnivorous. They eat prawns, fish eggs, jellyfish, octopus and many other species. But their healthy appetites often make them easy prey to man's negligence. I think Caletto has gained weight since we picked him up. Like any sea turtle that's eaten a lot of plastic, they lose the ability to dive because their intestines swell. If they can't dive to eat they die of starvation unless they can be found and treated. For well-fed and in a safe space the turtle has excreted more than 60 grams of plastic in two months. Caletto regularly leaves his tank for a routine checkup. Laura and Roberta ensure that he's finished digesting pollutants and has gained enough weight to return to the Mediterranean. Since 2006 the Cramer Association has healed and returned 150 turtles to the sea. It's a costly activity which is largely funded by tourists paying to visit. There is also an exhibition to raise public awareness of the need to safeguard flora and fauna. Tourists can't stay overnight on the island. They make day visits on foot, bikes or buggies. The national park has a large number of donkeys. No one knows when they first arrived or where they came from. There's a legend that says they arrived following a shipwreck. It's also thought that the Duke of Asinara imported them from Egypt in the 19th century. Some of them are known as Asinara donkeys. They're easily recognizable by their white coat and blue eyes. Their pink nose and broad breast set them apart from the greyer donkeys. The scrubland has very interesting plant life. The lentisk or mastic shrub is well known for its medicinal properties. Its essential oil is used to treat acid reflux. Euphorbia dendroides or tree spurge is common on the island and is used to treat arthritis or sciatica. It can also clear warts. From spring onwards the juniper tree offers precious shade to the donkeys. Much used for roof timbers and to make barrels for wine and balsamic vinegar, the juniper is threatened by overexploitation. Now a protected species, it's illegal to fell it in Europe and many other countries. In the scrubland there's also the Montpellier cistus, a shrub that was named after the French botanists that discovered it in the last century. It's used in cosmetics for its healing and anti-wrinkle qualities. Although the island has been inhabited since the Neolithic, it's managed to avoid urbanization, being mostly settled by fishermen, monks and shepherds. It also had a penal institution until it closed in 1997. Since it was declared a national park in 2002, Asinara has become an unmissable attraction for tourists visiting Sardinia. Although abundant nature is one of the island's strengths, its historical heritage is no less rich or worthwhile. The remnants of a bronze age civilization are scattered across the island. These people built watchtowers called nuragi, around which their whole society revolved. As such they're known as the Nuragic civilization. The archaeological site of Foros was once the most important place for metalworking in Sardinia. Their 5,000 year old smelting furnaces are very recognizable. Two temples built between 1300 and 1900 years before the common era show the site's importance. The first is 17 meters long with three adjoining rooms. The Nuragic people's spirituality was water-based. People came from far and wide to participate in rituals around sacred wells. Once a year in December, the low winter sun lights up the doorway alignment as a reminder of winter's presence and the end of the seasonal cycle. The second temple is also built from granite and local shale. It has three covered rooms and an exterior courtyard with a stone bench. Their dwellings, known as insula, are small round buildings. Their roofs were probably made from thatch or slate. This one has 12 rooms and a magnificent view of the valley. The Nuragic people buried their dead in funerary chambers known as giant's tombs. Although they resemble modern graves, their name comes from their considerable length, at least 20 meters long. According to their beliefs, Materi, the goddess of dawn and the morning, mated with a bull to give new life to the dead. More than 300 giant's tombs have been found in Sardinia. This one is near Ogosolo, a small town famous for its activism. At the end of the 1960s in Barbadia, a particularly enclosed region, this small town became the symbol of Sardinian political resistance. It all began with the appropriation of land by the Italian government for military exercises. Shepherds, villagers and farmers opposed it by occupying the land. Anti-military sentiment is expressed artistically on the walls of Ogosolo, in murals and in graffiti. Following their victory, the walls were covered with communist ideology as represented by its heroes. The class struggle and occupation of factories was promoted. The idea of artistic activism spread rapidly through numerous Sardinian villages, each one rivaling the next in creativity to spread the word. Here they pay tribute to the memory of Judge Falcone, assassinated by the mafia. Over time, the murals have become less political and simply show the daily lives of their inhabitants. The houses proudly exhibit the philosophy or particular passion of their owners. Whether riding enthusiasts or modern art lovers, everyone gives free reign to their expression. There are over 300 murals here, making Ogosolo an open-air gallery. Varied works of arts abound, such as this Scandinavian-inspired mural. In one of the local homes, the Koubedou family work together to prepare the pasta as they do every Saturday. Making it collectively is a family tradition. It gets us all together, the children, cousins, grandmothers and moms. There are over 300 different varieties of pasta in Sardinia, with over 1,200 different names. Each Sardinian village has its own recipe. The pasta we're making is called Sos Uruliones. We've stuffed them with salt, fresh eggs, chard and goat's cheese. The island's best-known ravioli, Uruliones, comes from this region. They're stuffed with potato, mint and sheep's cheese. In Barbagia, this dish is not only considered as food, but also as a precious gift and mark of respect and friendship. In Sardinian culture, Uruliones are amulets that protect and ward off evil spirits. The way of closing and sealing them has a name, Saspiguita. Although salt, wheat and water are necessary for making pasta, for some varieties, a further ingredient is much sought after, expertise. It's certainly the case for Filindeu, a dried pasta mostly used in mutton soup, typical of the region. It's the world's rarest pasta because it's quite impossible to produce industrially. The secret of its making is well kept by only a few initiates. The pasta has to be stretched manually to obtain extremely fine threads. Its price can be as high as 150 euros a kilo. Filindeu, which means son of god in Sardinian, is even inscribed as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. Filindeu is Anna's passion, but no one was prepared to teach her, so she mastered the art herself. It took me almost a year to learn to pull the threads correctly. It's a very difficult but fascinating process to master. When I finally created the magic thread, I was like a child in a toy shop. For the last six years, Anna has been able to pull up to 256 threads. They're applied in three layers on a round wicker base before being left to sun-dry for several hours. Anna shares her passion for Filindeu on social networks. She organizes events and cooking classes around the precious thread. Whether for its cooking or painting, Barbagia is a constant source of surprise to the visitor. Enclosed by mountains, this part of central Sardinia is the least populated of Italy. Its isolation has helped to preserve its culture and authenticity. As early as the Roman era, its inhabitants were opposed to the empire. They were referred to as barbarians, which led to the region being named Barbagia. In Mamoiada, a neighboring village to Orgosolo, Francesco and Sergio are in the grounds of the cultural center Proloco, rehearsing their role in the Mamutones parade. The procession takes place every January on St. Anthony's Day. The Mamutones costume is a sheepskin coat called saspedes, which is typically worn by Sardinian herders. A collection of bells weighing 25 kilos called saccaria are attached to the back and the front and they ring with every jump. A black mask is worn to evoke hardship and arouse a sense of fear. The more neutral white shepherd's mask is worn to express authority. Over the traditional red costume of isohadores, a coiled rope hangs to symbolize the domination of the man making the beast dance. The folklore's origins are uncertain. Some think that the masked procession dates back 5,000 years and is an element of the Nuragic people's water cult. Others think that the procession celebrates the 9th century victory of the Barbagians' shepherds over the Saracens. A short distance from the cultural center is the Mediterranean Mask Museum. Stepping inside, the many legends surrounding the mask are revealed to the visitor. In Sardinia, most of them symbolize the struggle between animal instinct and human reason. These are characters from the Otana village carnival. Boe, a disobedient bull that runs all over the place, and his keeper, Merdules, who tries to control him. In the next room is a particularly terrifying piece of carved wood. It's Krampus, a demon originating from the Friuli Venezia Diulia. Every 5th of December on St. Nicholas' Day, he roams the streets, frightening passers-by. There's also a Spanish mask of Botaeros and a Slovenian mask of Kurense, an evil character that enters people's gardens to receive offerings, or, if none are given, to cast a spell. Many masks and costumes play on people's fears, but they're also used as protection, such as this Croatian mask of Zion Kari, that terrified the invading Turks and Tatars, causing their hasty retreat. Farm animals are extremely present in Sardinian folklore, essentially because pastoralism is very much a part of local culture. With more than 3.5 million sheep and over 200,000 goats, Sardinia has earned the nickname of Shepherd's Island. It even has an indigenous breed of goat, the Salda goat, a hardy and fearless animal that browses areas that are inaccessible to others of its kind. The variety of vegetation to be eaten on its cliffs gives the milk its own distinctive flavour. In the Oliastra region, above the village of Baonei, on a rocky spur on the edge of the natural park of the Orosei Gulf, nanny and billy goats take the sea air far from the busy tourist beaches. At the end of the last century, the younger generations were no longer attracted to the herders' work. It was too hard and too far from the big, connected towns. But recently, there's been a drift back to the country. David felt the need to return to his village after years of working in town, far from his family. Every morning, just before 5am, he milks his goats with his father, a moment of togetherness they both value immensely. I return to the countryside because we've always had an agri-pastoral tradition. I had to get back to the simple things in life, what nature has to offer. Once the milking's done, David and his father, Gianpetro, go straight to work on transforming it into caprino, the local cheese. They use no chemical coagulants here, only natural calves' rennet. The mixture is drained and pressed by two pairs of hands. Our cheese is very much a family thing, passed down from father to son for many generations. These cheeses are part of Sardinia. You could even say they make up Sardinia's soul. It takes a minimum of two weeks to mature caprino, but can take more than a year. In Sardinia, there are about 15 typical varieties, like caglio, the world's oldest cheese, which has been eaten since prehistoric times. It's a baby goat's first milk, which it coagulates in its stomach. It is creamy, very spicy, and only for rare occasions. Fiscudo is a cream cheese preserved in brine and is much appreciated for its acidity and saltiness. In an ololai, a traditional shepherd's hut with its juniper wood roof, David is preparing goat ricotta. Full of water and low in calories, ricotta is a source of micronutrients, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin A. The healthy, active outdoor lifestyle in contact with nature and the elements has given its inhabitants exceptional longevity. The region has the highest number of centenarians per capita in the world. Professor Pest, a Sardinian university scholar, is leading a scientific study called Blue Zone, which has identified 14 villages particularly concerned by this phenomenon. The researchers then localized four other Blue Zone regions elsewhere in the world. They all have the same common denominators, a healthy lifestyle at a higher altitude, physically active beyond the age of 80, no stress levels, and close family and social ties. In the heart of the Oleastera region, on the east coast, the village of Villa Grande was one of the first to be identified as a Blue Zone. In the last 30 years, they've had about 60 centenarians. That's one for every 50 inhabitants, as opposed to the U.S., where there's only one for every 5,000 inhabitants. More surprising still is that half of them are men, whereas normally the large majority are women. This is a considerable source of local pride. Grandma and grandpa are superstars. Their records for longevity are proudly painted on the walls of the village. In this 30-meter square maisonette, with its upstairs toilet and bedroom, lives a youngster of 99, who has every chance of making her way onto the village walls. Gabrielina has seen the arrival of the Vespa, the fridge, the vacuum cleaner, the Football World Cup, and even hamburgers. Hello! Hi, how are you? I'm fine. Did you sleep? Daniela, her niece, and her brother Gino visit her every day. Do you remember when television came? Yes. How did it seem to you? It changed everyone's lives. Nearly all the villagers had one. At first, it was only black and white. It was very good for teaching people to learn things they didn't know. What did you like? Songs and all that. Have you heard about internet? Yes, of course. People marry by internet. They meet there. What's all that nonsense about? You don't agree? No, I don't agree. Why is that? Because you can't just do what you like with holy sacraments. How many popes have you seen? Seven. Gabrielina didn't marry or have children, but her ties to the rest of the family are strong. Why do you think you've lived so long? I never thought I would. When I was young, I was always ill. I'm sure even my parents would be surprised to see how long I've been here. I suppose it's because the good Lord doesn't want me to leave yet. But what's your secret? I eat healthily, good homegrown Sardinian food, and I've always been a light eater since I was young. Those that eat a lot and eat badly are always the first to go. With these wise words, our Sardinian journey draws to a close. Between the earth and the sea, amidst lush landscapes and solid local traditions, authentic Sardinia embodies the rich Mediterranean lifestyle and its abundant culture.