Talana is perched above a rugged valley wedged between a mountain covered by the Padente Mannu forest and, further to the south, the mountain of Serra Longa. The rugged, stony territory has its dense forests at Padente Mannu, Margine, Gudunu and Ovelio. Some historians trace the origin of the toponym Talana in the Mesopotamian language (meaning “heaven splendour”); other link it to the Etruscan Thalana, a female goddess of youth. Other historical sources tell us that Talana, part of the Judicature of Gallura till the early 1300s, was passed on to the Pisans, then the Aragonese, the Spaniards, the Austrians and finally to the Piemontese.

The only traces of pre-Nuragic civilisation are in the area called Silacarao with its domus de janas whose main characteristic is their being interconnected. As to the more recent Nuragic era, Talana has various nuraghi, often standing in elevated positions, some of the highest in all of Sardinia: Nuraghe Oddrollai is at 1173 m, the nuraghe at Bruncu Tortorai at 1214 m and the nuraghe at Bruncu Pisu Cerbu at 1348 m. Easier to reach is the interesting Nuragic complex of Bau ‘e Tanca (1122 m), a few kilometres from the village, unique in the unusual symmetry of its components. Serra er Domos and Nercore are also village remains. The Nuragic civilisation has left some interesting handcrafts in the giants’ tomb of Bau ‘e Tanca, Nercone and Surgu.

The parish church of Santa Maria was built by an unknown architect, work began in 1831 and was finished in 1909 with the contribution of the village people who are, therefore, very fond and proud of it. In the Neo-Classic style, the church has a single nave with 7 lateral chapels and houses some beautiful wooden statues of the 18th century and a silver cross of unknown date. The country church of Sant’Efisio, which dates back to 1700, is the seat of an important religious event that marks the beginning of country festivals in Ogliastra.