There's an ancient Sardinian proverb — Furat chie venit dae su mare — that means, "He who comes from the sea comes to steal." Waves of occupation — by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Byzantines, and Romans — instilled a culture of fierce independence.

Over the centuries, those living near the coast escaped inland, where the mountains offered protection from seafaring invaders. There, a pastoral heritage took root and flourished, and Sardinia became a land of shepherds.