About 7km east of Nuoro is the granite peak of Monte Ortobene (955m), covered in thick woods of ilex, pine, fir and poplar, and capped by a 7m-high bronze statue of the Redentore (Christ the Redeemer). A favourite picnic spot, the mountain is the focus of Nuoro’s annual Sagra del Redentore festival. On 29 August, the brightly clothed faithful make a pilgrimage here from the cathedral, stopping for Mass at Chiesa di Nostra Signora del Monte, and again under the statue.
The statue was raised in 1901 in response to a call by Pope Leo XIII to raise 19 statues of Christ around Italy to represent the 19 centuries of Christianity. Since then the statue, which shows Christ trampling the devil underfoot, has been an object of devotion for pilgrims who attribute all manner of cures and interventions to it.
The views across the valley to Oliena and Monte Corrasi are at their most breathtaking from the viewpoint near the summit, particularly at dusk when the last light makes the limestone peaks blush pink. To get to the summit by public transport, take local bus 8 from Via A Manzoni in Nuoro.