Ottana () is a town and comune (municipality), former bishopric and Latin titular see in the Province of Nuoro in the autonomous island region of Sardinia in Italy. It is located about north of Cagliari and about southwest of Nuoro. It has 2,147 inhabitants.

The town is known for its traditional carnival costumes, including distinctive masks worn by the Boes, Merdules and Filonzana.

Ottana borders the municipalities of Bolotana, Noragugume, Olzai, Orani, Sarule, and Sedilo.

Demographics As of 2026, the population is 2,147, of which 50.0% are male, and 50.0% are female. Minors make up 13.0% of the population, and seniors make up 27.4%.

Immigration As of 2025, immigrants make up 6.0% of the population. The 5 largest foreign countries of birth are Belgium, Germany, France, Morocco, and Romania.

Religion The date of the establishment of the diocese of Ottana (Othana in Latin) is unknown, but it was in existence by the first decade of the 12th century.Kehr, p. 447. Cappelletti, p. 142: "Fuor di dubbio per altro era vescovo di Ottana, circa l'anno 1106, un Giovanni, il quale assisteva alla consecrazione della chiesa della santissima Trinità di Sacargia." It was a suffragan of the archbishop of Torres (Sassari).

Bishop Antonio di Alcalà held a diocesan synod on 3 June 1475.Giovanni Spano, Memoria sopra l'antica cattedrale di Ottana e scoperte archeologiche fattesi nell'isola in tutto l'anno 1870, , (Cagliari: Tipografia del Commercio 1870), pp. 6-7. G. Spano, Ortografia sarda nazionale, ossia Gramatica della lingua logudorese paragonata all'italiana Vol. 2 (Cagliari: Stamperia reale 1840), pp. 98-100 (partial text).

Pope Julius II, in his papal bull "Aequum Reputamus" of 8 December 1503, suppressed the diocese of Bisarcio, the Diocese of Castro, and Diocese of Ottana.Buonaiuti, p. 310. Codex diplomaticus Ecclesiensis [Historiae Patriae Monumenta, Tomus XVII], (Turin: Bocca 1877), pp. 793-798. Their territories, and some from the Archdiocese of Sassari, were combined and reassigned to establish the Diocese of Alghero. Alghero was made a suffragan of Sassari. Ottana was no longer a cathedral city. The town was in a malarial zone, and it gradually lost nearly all of its population in thr 16th century.DK Eyewitness Travel Guide. Sardinia (DK Travel 2017), p. 105. G. Dettori, "La malaria in relazione alla vita economico-sociale in Sardegna," in:Atti della Societa per gli studi della malaria (Roma 1912), p. 251.

Ottana is the site of the Romanesque church of San Nicola, built 1150.

Bishops of Ottana Giovanni (1116)Cappelletti, p. 142. Pintus, p. 107. Ugo (1139)Pasquale Tola, Codex diplomaticus Sardiniae , Vol. 1 (Turin 1861), p. 213. Cappelletti, p. 142. Pintus, p. 107. Zaccaria (1170)Mattei, Sardinia sacra, p. 221. Cappelletti, p. 142. Pintus, p. 107-108. Ugo (1176) Gregorio (1205)Gregorius: Pintus, p. 108. Gonario (16 June 1231 – ?) Costantino (1237? – ?) Silvestro (1340)Silvester: Pintus, p. 109. Eubel I, p. 381. Francesco (13 June 1344 – ?)Franciscus had been a canon of the cathedral Chapter of Sorra, and had been elected, consecrated, and confirmed as bishop of Sorra. His election, however, was rejected by Pope Clement VI, and instead he was appointed bishop of Ottana. Pintus, p. 109. Eubel, Hierarchia catholica I, p. 381 with note 2. Pietro (14 January 1359 – ?)Petrus: Eubel, Hierarchia catholica I, p. 381. Arnaldo Simone, O.P. (13 February 1355 – ?)Arnaldo had previously been Bishop of Butrinto (? – 13 February 1355). Giovanni Lavoratore, O.F.M. (1386 –1389 ?), Avignon ObedienceGiovanni: (16 April 1386 – 1389 ?). Pintus, p. 109. Domenico (26 May 1386 – 1388), Roman ObedienceDominicus was appointed by Pope Urban VI on 26 May 1386. Eubel I, p. 381. Giovanni (26 June 1388 – ? ), Roman ObedienceJoannes was appointed by Pope Urban VI on on 26 June 1388. Nicola (1389 – 1400) Avignon ObedienceNicola (3 September 1389–14 June 1400) was later appointed Bishop of Sorres by Pope Clement VII (14 June 1400 – 1414). Eubel I, p. 381 with note 4; 459. Gerardo di Gisarchio (Gérard de Gisors), O. Carm. (1390 – 1402) Avignon ObedienceGerardo was appointed by Pope Clement VII. on 21 November 1390. On 28 August 1402, he was appointed Bishop of Bethléem à Clamecy (Burgundy, France), by Pope Benedict XIII. He died in 1403. Eubel I, pp. 135; 381 with note 3. Pintus, p. 109. Biagio Spano (1400 – ?), Roman ObedienceBlasius was a canon of the cathedral Chapter of Torres (Sassari). He was appointed by Pope Boniface IX on 14 June 1400. Biagio is documented as still functioning on 13 August 1422. Eubel I, p. 381. Pintus, p. 110. Simone Mancha, O.S.B. Vall. (11 February 1429 – 1454) Giovanni de Salinis, O.F.M. (1454 – 1471Giovanni de Salinis aureis (or Salmis aureis) was a master of theology. He had been the Vicar-general of the Minors Conventual throughout Sardinia. Pope Nicholas V (1447–1455) named him Inquisitor of Sardinia. On 31 May 1454, he was appointed bishop of Ottana. Pope Paul II appointed him Bishop of Bosa on 17 June 1471. He died in 1484. Pintus, p. 110. Eubel II, p. 208. Antonio di Alcala (25 August 1472 – 1475)Antonio held a diocesan synod on 3 June 1475. He was dead before 2 August 1475, when a Sede Vacante is recorded in a document. P. Gams, Series episcoporum (Ratisbon 1873), p. 841, col. 2. Pintus, p. 111. Eubel's dates (Hierarchia catholica II, p. 208) are incorrect, as are those of Cappelletti, p. 144.. Gerolamo di Setgi, O.F.M. (8 September 1475 – 1480)Gerolamo: Pintus, p. 111. Ludovico Camagni, O.F.M. (7 February 1481 – 1483)Camagni was 28 years old at the time of his appointment. Pintus, p. 111. Eubel II, p. 208. Domenico di Milia (11 September 1483 – ?)Dominicus had been a canon of Torres (Sassari). Eubel II, p. 208 with note 1. Giovanni Perez (23 July 1501 – 1503)Perez: Eubel II, p. 208 with note 2.

Titular see In October 2004, the title, but not the diocese itself, was restored as a Latin titular bishopric, named Ottana in Italian, or Othana in Latin.

Holders of the title include: Lorenzo Ghizzoni (17 February 2006 – 17 November 2012)Ghizzoni served as Auxiliary Bishop of Reggio Emilia–Guastalla. On17 November 2012, he was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Ravenna–Cervia. Piotr Sawczuk (19 January 2013 – 17 June 2019)Sawczuk served as Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Siedlce (Poland). He was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Drohiczyn on 17 June 2019.

References

Sources . . Archived. . Archived. . Archived. Lai, Roberto (2013). La Diocesi medievale di Ottana e la cronotassi dei suoi vescovi (1065-1503). . Logus mondi interattivi, 2013. Merche, Salvatore (1923). Cenni storici sull'antico vescovado di Ottana e nuovo elenco critico dei suoi vescovi. Cagliari: G. Ledda, 1923. Pintus, Sebastiano (1909). "Vescovi di Ottana e di Alghero," , in: Archivio storico sardo Vol. 5 (1909), pp. 106-111.

External links

Chow, Gabriel. GCatholic.org, "Bishops of Ottana"; retrieved: 13 December 2025. .