For the name, see Bitti (name).
Bitti
Coordinates40°28′30″N 9°22′54″E
RegionSardinia
ProvinceNuoro (NU)
MayorGiuseppe Ciccolini
Area total215.37 km²
Population total2,476
Population as of2026
Population demonymBittesi
Elevation549 m
SaintSt. George
Day23 April
Postal code08021
Area code0784
WebsiteOfficial website

Bitti (Sardinian: Bitzi) is a town and comune (municipality) in the Province of Nuoro in the autonomous island region of Sardinia in Italy. It is located about 140 kilometres (87 mi) north of Cagliari and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Nuoro. It has 2,476 inhabitants.[1][2]

Bitti borders the municipalities of Alà dei Sardi, Buddusò, Lodè, Lula, Nule, Onanì, Orune, Osidda, and Padru.[3]

History

The commune takes its name from the Sardinian language term bitta for female deer. There had been evidence of a pre-historic Nuragic civilization settlement on the land where Bitti is located. This came from a series of granite huts and temples that extended 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) up to a plateau in the nearby forest. There was evidence that it was already existing in Roman times. The name of Bitti came from a 2nd-3rd century AD settlement.[4] it is mentioned in 1170 as Bitthe. Bitti was a provincial capital of the Giudicato of Gallura and, from the 14th century, was part of the Giudicato of Torres.[5] It was later included in the marquisate of Orani. The modern village was constructed and developed around the Roman Catholic Church of St George's.[4]

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, the Bitti residents regularly cleaned their streets and decorated them with flowers, which was promoted by the municipal government to create a sense of community.[6] In 2024, Bitti gained international attention due to the priest of St George's conducting Mass and giving sermons in the local bars with beer after. This was done to alleviate waning church attendance and to get Christian worship open in the community.[7]

Demographics

As of 2026, the population is 2,476, of which 48.1% are male, and 51.9% are female. Minors make up 12.6% of the population, and seniors make up 32.4%.[8][9]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
18613,272—
18713,317+1.4%
18813,517+6.0%
19014,613+31.2%
19114,770+3.4%
19215,098+6.9%
19315,340+4.7%
19365,733+7.4%
19515,829+1.7%
19615,774−0.9%
19714,645−19.6%
19814,473−3.7%
19913,928−12.2%
20013,481−11.4%
20113,019−13.3%
20212,610−13.5%

ISTAT[10][11]

Immigration

As of 2025, of the known countries of birth of 2,510 residents, the most numerous are: Italy (2,438 – 97.1%), Romania (35 – 1.4%).[12][13]

Main sights

See also

References

  1. ^ "Resident population by age, sex and marital status on 1st January 2026". demo.istat.it. ISTAT. 2026-01-01. Retrieved 2026-04-01. (On the search form, choose the statistical region of the municipality in the Area section, the Region, the Province, and the name of the Municipality)
  2. ^ "Resident population by age, sex and marital status on 1st January 2026". demo.istat.it. ISTAT. 2026-01-01. Retrieved 2026-04-01.The file URL linking on technical dataset.
  3. ^ "Nuoro Provincia mappa" (in Italian). Idealista. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  4. ^ "Bitti". Monumenti Aperti. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  5. ^ "The Nuragic culture in Barbagia by Silvia Moggia - Bitti, Italy | Kiss From The World®". www.kissfromtheworld.com. Archived from the original on 2015-02-23.
  6. ^ "Grande successo, a Bitti, per il progetto di recupero e pulizia dei rioni" (in Italian). Sargania Rioggi Domani. 18 June 2020. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  7. ^ McKenna, Josephine (14 April 2024). "Italian priest starts preaching in bars after church attendance wanes". The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  8. ^ "Resident population by age, sex and marital status on 1st January 2026". demo.istat.it. ISTAT. 2026-01-01. Retrieved 2026-04-01. (On the search form, choose the statistical region of the municipality in the Area section, the Region, the Province, and the name of the Municipality)
  9. ^ "Resident population by age, sex and marital status on 1st January 2026". demo.istat.it. ISTAT. 2026-01-01. Retrieved 2026-04-01.The file URL linking on technical dataset.
  10. ^ "Popolazione residente dei comuni. Censimenti dal 1861 al 1991" [Resident population of the municipalities. Censuses from 1861 to 1991] (in Italian). ISTAT. Archived from the original on 2025-11-12.
  11. ^ "Resident population - Time series". ISTAT
  12. ^ "Resident population by sex, municipality and individual citizenship or country of birth from year 2002". demo.istat.it. ISTAT. 2025-01-01. Retrieved 2025-02-27. (Click on 'View by country of birth', and on the search form, choose the statistical region of the municipality in the Area section, the Region, the Province, and the name of the Municipality)
  13. ^ "Resident population by sex, municipality and individual citizenship or country of birth from year 2002". demo.istat.it. ISTAT. 2025-01-01. Retrieved 2025-02-27.The file URL linking on technical dataset.