Sardinian wonders - Interni Magazine

Set in the wild and intoxicating vegetation of Barbagia, the Experience Hotel Su Gologone is dotted with pieces of art and crafts, in a triumph of vibrant colors and references to tradition. Each proposal –artistic, gastronomic, naturalistic – invites you to discover a less known (and therefore) more authentic Sardinia

A summer begins that wants to be first and foremost in attendance. An active and participatory presence, in the name of discovery. Luxury for 2021 is travel, a journey into the most authentic experiences, to be lived and shared in the open air.

The goal? A more internal, rougher, less known Sardinia: different but no less interesting from the one overlooking the sea. A Sardinia of rocks, springs of pure and green water as far as the eye can see; lush and spectacular, no less radiant than its coasts: more sour but welcoming, and decidedly tasty.

In Oliena, in the heart of the most sincere Barbagia, on this island that could be a continent, inextricably linked to its ancestral soul, full of symbols, beliefs and traditions, stands the Experience Hotel Su Gologone, an invitation to discover the Sardinian wonders . The structure, rustic, almost organic, merges with the bright green that surrounds it, ethnic and colorful, but equipped with every contemporary comfort, alternating white with turquoise, between terraces, arches and a maze of courtyards covered with red tiles. Located near the source of Su Gologone, where an impetuous mass of water gushes from a very deep gorge, it offers a spectacle of extraordinary beauty, warm hospitality, but above all artistic, gastronomic and naturalistic experiences to discover the uncontaminated territory.

In the Supramonte countryside, among vineyards and centuries-old olive trees where the air smells of myrtle and rosemary, Su Gologone is one of the legends of Sardinian hospitality: it represents a revisited (but not too much) example of the best architectural tradition of the island, a a destination as unusual as it is privileged, where aromas and flavors are those of the territory. Set in the rough, wild and intoxicating vegetation of the land of Oliena and bathed in the blinding sun, the resort is dotted with pieces of art and crafts, both historical and contemporary: tapestries, cushions, paintings and sculptures are scattered in every corner, in a triumph of vibrant colors and references to local customs and traditions.

Art collector and painter at the same time, the owner Giovanna Palimodde is the soul of Su Gologone. He designs all the collections, from plates to glasses, from runners to cushions, and for the 2021 season he has set up a real creative classroom inside the workshops where creative courses in ceramics, mosaic, raku, loom and embroidery are organized, held by master potters and specialists in the art of mosaic.

“Symbology and color come together to tell once again a Sardinia unknown to most” explains Giovanna Palimodde. “Bright, strong colors, which are not simply in the creative palette, but are found in the sky of the island, in the peonies that bloom in the Lanaitho valley in spring and in the fruits of the prickly pears that bloom in the countryside. Through the creations of the Su Gologone Botteghe, natural pigments become history and archeology: applied to natural fabrics, cotton, wool and linen, they are worked on the loom as per tradition”.

The heart of the resort is therefore its shops: a triumph of color, which intertwines craftsmanship and ancient know-how with fabrics and ceramics for contemporary homes. The cushions, runners, plate sets, glasses and tablecloths are handmade by Sardinian artisans, guided by the creative flair of Giovanna Palimodde: skilled hands embroider, paint and work unique objects. In each one we find the warmth and the indefatigable vitality of the island: a silent conversation is established between those who own them and that forge of inventions, customs and traditions that is Sardinia.

The tireless artistic vein of Giovanna Palimodde, creator of all the spaces of the hotel, is reflected in the interiors and exteriors, where every object, every chromatic tone, every detail speaks a precise language: every element symbolizes or alludes to a reference well accentuated. The rooms, the suites, the large terraces set up as welcoming open-air lounges, every single corner of the Su Gologone is a stage of a journey that leads to the discovery of the collection of modern and contemporary Sardinian art: the greatest Sardinian artists guide the guests. The Tex Willer's Garden stands out for its exuberance, set up with hammocks, comics, cacti and colorful horses that run on the walls of a rustic building.

The spaces have evocative names, from the Nido del Pane to the Terrace of Dreams, from the Tablao bar to the Corte di Su Re, while the interiors of the resort, clad in juniper wood and terracotta, are dotted with works by famous contemporary Sardinian artists, antique furnishings , precious fabrics, artistic ceramics, typical masks and traditional costumes, but also everyday objects related to sheep farming, old baskets, tools. Places with a magical aura: they preserve ancient traditions that represent an entire earth, proud and sunny. The sensation that surrounds it is that, warm and welcoming, of living in a house, a house that overflows with stories and history.

The resort therefore allows you to experience the reassuring well-being of a house, or rather of a village, made up of courtyards, passages and secluded corners, each one different from the other, each painted in different bright colors. But Su Gologone also allows an experience of continuous discovery between nature and art: from meals consumed in the garden to yoga classes on the Terrace of Desires overlooking the Supramonte, from creative ceramic courses to those of embroidery, held by the same hands skilled and meticulous who make the traditional Oliena shawls, from trekking along the most rugged and authentic Sardinian paths to excursions that lead to the summit of Monte Corrasi up to go up the Cedrino river by kayak.

The multifaceted creativity that you can touch with your hand everywhere, from the futons in the pool to the cushions on the Terrace of Desires to the paintings of Sardinian artists hosted in the different rooms, can be brought home. The objects produced with skill by the skilled embroiderers of the Su Gologone Style Botteghe are in fact for sale: every shade, size and decoration can be reproduced according to one's tastes, to find a corner of Sardinia even in the city. Born in a treasure chest of inventiveness, in an intertwining of ancient crafts and contemporary results, all the creations are unique pieces, which express the love for traditions and the strong attachment to the Sardinian land.

A distinctive – obvious – element of the collections made in the shops is the use of color: the color of the yarns, dyed with natural pigments and then handcrafted on a loom, the colors of the fabrics and the colors of the hand-woven decorations. And the color is, of course, also found on the tapestries that reflect the typical Sardinian geometries and on the cushions, available in various sizes and which lend themselves to various uses, all very comfortable. Their realization takes up the technique of the ancient art of embroidery with which the traditional Oliena shawls are made.