From an analysis of the Libri Mortuorum, registers that recorded deaths from 1646 until the first half of the twentieth century, we discover that there were two cemeteries in Nuoro: the first was close to the Convent of the Friars Minor Observant, and the second was adjacent to the old parish church of Santa Maria della Neve. These were places intended for the burial of indigent individuals, while the well-to-do were buried within the perimeter of the village churches.
In 1863, the Municipality of Nuoro formalized the deed of purchase of land located northwest of the town, in a locality called “Sa ‘e Manca.” The inauguration of the new cemetery took place in 1868. It constitutes the place of family and collective memory for the Nuoro community (which was extensively discussed by Salvatore Satta in his novel-masterpiece The Day of Judgment) and, at the same time, a true open-air museum.
