Sardegna

The dominant characteristic of Sardinia’s rural landscape
is its vastness. Maquis and permanent natural
pastures extend over almost half of the island,
whereas tall woods and farmland are found in specifi
c districts, the former on hills and mountains, the
latter in the plain and around towns. Land classifi ed
as woodland occupies over 50% of the island. The
utilized agricultural surface amounts to about 42.4%
of the total, with a prevalence of pastures (51.5%)
over cropland. The island’s landscape is hence not
that of a “Mediterranean garden”, but rather one of
steppes, oak savannahs, and a disorderly but not disharmonic,
colorful mosaic of shrubberies. This is the
result of a centuries-long process during which freegrazing
sheep put its stamp on the natural environment,
giving the Sardinian landscape a character that
is unique in Italy.