In his travelogue, Sea and Sardinia, DH Lawrence wrote that Sardinia was "left outside of time and history".
Indeed, the march of time has been slow here, and traditions from ancient Europe have survived - the legacy of invasion by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Byzantines, Spanish Savoyards and Italians.
These traditions are displayd in Sardinia's many festivals - some soberly Christian, others with pagan roots.
Several different dialects and languages are spoken in Sardinia.
Of particular interest are the prehistoric nuraghe castles, villages, temples and tombs which litter the countryside - most notably around Barumini, north of Cagliari, and in the Valle dei Nuraghe, south of Sassari.
The nuraghe were built by a people whose origins constitute one of the Mediterranean's great mysteries.
In Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia,there is a museum with an excellent archaelogical collection that offers insight into this enigmatic people.
Sassari, Oristano, Alghero and Olbia are all centres ao areas marked by their individuality.
Some remarkable Pisan - Romanesque churches are located around Sassari and here too dialects reveal close links with the languages of Tuscany.
Olbia is a boom town made rich by tourism and the proximity of the jet - setting Costa Smeralda.