Villagrande Strisaili is sheltered from the winds by a crown of mountains that rise up to 1000 metres (Mt. Idolo, Mt. Suana, Mt. Orguda, and Mt. Isadalu) while on the east it overlooks a wide valley slowly rolling towards the Tyrrhenian Sea in a unique, fascinating scenario of oak forests, intensely fragrant Mediterranean bush, granite and porphyry rocks and a clean and inviting blue sea. The hamlet of Villanova, 7 km from the village itself on a plateau contouring the Gennargentu slopes amid primary oak forests, has a wonderful view over the Alto Flumendosa lake.

The abundance of water springs and streams in the territory gives life to a substantial forest: evergreen and cork oaks, junipers, alders, willows, holly trees grow in the woods of Santa Barbara, Sa Pauli, Mt. Idolo, Sarominis, Nuradulu, and in the Gambasuntas and Gennargentu forests. The undergrowth consists mainly of arbutus, heath, cistus, myrtle, thyme, mastic, evergreen and many official plants such as foxglove and gentian.

The territory has been inhabited since the remotest of times, as testified by the pre-Nuragic and Nuragic finds. In the Roman era (238 b.c.-476a.d.) Villagrande might have belonged to the Rubrenses tribe. In the 12th century it was part of the Curatoria of Ogliastra, then of the Judicature of Ogliastra and then passed to the Pisans, the Arogonese and the Spainards. Around 1670 the destruction of the village of Onnis and the exploitation of its pastures triggered a bloody feud between shepherds of Fonni and Villagrande which lasted for some 200 years.

The pre-Nuragic presence is testified by 5 perfectly preserved domus de janas at Coile Bruxiau, Su Strumpu, Corte’e Marceddu, S’Orciada and Rio Settile and by a menhir at Sa Preda’e S’Orcu. Remains of a megalithic grave are found within the forest of Santa Barbara. The Nuragic settlement is quite relevant with  giants’ tombs 17 nuraghi and, scattered on the territory, some ten Nuragic villages. Especially worth mentioning is the Nuragic site of S’Arcu‘e Forrus with its “megaron” temple and its two water-worshipping temples.