Fonni

Plan your 2018 holiday in Fonni, in Sardinia, Italy! Find useful tourist information about Fonni and the surrounding area, to help you to organise a truly memorable experience. Discover the best things to do, must-sees in the vicinity, and choose your ideal holiday accommodation in Fonni. Check destination ports and airports, including distances. Plan your next holiday, book online and find the very best prices for you, your family and friends on Sardegna.com! For assistance and advice, please contact our expert, multilingual personnel, specialised in Sardinia, who will be happy to help you find the perfect solution, at no extra cost. Buon viaggio!

Photo of Fonni or surroundings

Fonni is a small village of roughly 5,000 inhabitants situated in the province of Nuoro in the heart of the Barbagia, Sardinia’s inner and mountainous area. The village is distinguished by its elevated position of 1000 metres above sea level and is in fact Sardinia’s highest location.
The name Fonni originates from the Latin Fons which means fountain and in fact the entire area is characterised by beautiful fountains and springs immersed in nature. Fonni is in the nature reserve of Gennargentu, rich in vegetation and in typical animals of the region, like for example the mufflon sheep, the fox and the boar.

Furthermore, one can come across species that have become nearly extinct, like the Sardinian deer and vulpture.
Fonni boasts three large mountains; Mount Bruncu Spina, Mount Spada and Punta La Marmora. Monte Bruncu Spina is the only mountain to be equipped with ski slopes and facilities, making Fonni the hub for winter tourism. Whereas, Mount Spada has grass ski slopes, also very popular. Punta La Marmora is the highest peak of Sardinia and reaches 1834 metres, from here one can admire a spectacular 360 ° view of the entire Island. Due to its high position the climate is cooler and by no means Mediterranean.
The area, as well as having a rich and abundant vegetation, is of ancient origin, here one can visit significant archeological remains like for example, the archeological site of Gremanu, the Nuraghi necropolis of Madau and the archeological site of Urrui.
In the village is the Gothic Church of San Giovanni Battista, the Museum of Pastoral Culture, and by simply wandering around one can observe the suggestive “murals” frescoes on the walls of the village houses.
Fonni is known for the “Palio dei Comuni” or the “Palio di Fonni” which takes place the first Sunday of August, an extraordinary equestrian show which involves many different regions of Italy who carry out magnificent acrobatic skills on horseback. A typical biscuit of the area is the “
savoiardo di Fonni” resembling a sponge finger.