Jerzu

Jerzu lies on the slopes above the Rio Pardu valley, among the limestone plateaus known as the Tacchi. The village is closely associated with Cannonau wine and with a landscape of vineyards, Nuragic remains and rock-cut tombs.

Why it matters

Jerzu’s identity is rooted in both viticulture and its upland setting. The village is documented in a 1130 notarial deed recording a vineyard donation, and wine from the area was exported by the sixteenth century. A cooperative winery established in 1950 continues the village’s longstanding relationship with grape growing.

What to notice

The village’s streets rise in steep tiers above the valley. The surrounding territory contains rock-cut domus de janas tombs, numerous Nuragic settlements and the remains of a Punic necropolis on Monte Corongiu. Local traditions also reflect the pastoral life of the Ogliastra uplands, alongside the cultivation of the vine.

Context and history

The name Jerzzu appears in a notarial deed of 1130. The surrounding landscape bears evidence of earlier settlement, including Neolithic tombs and Nuragic sites. By the sixteenth century, wine from Jerzu was being shipped beyond Sardinia. In 1950, local growers established a cooperative winery, continuing the area’s viticultural tradition through collective production.