In October 1951, the old town center, now called Gairo Vecchio, as well as the historic castle complex were almost completely destroyed by flooding[2] and were later abandoned in order to rebuild new houses above the half-destroyed village and on the coast. In contrast to Gairo Vecchio, today's place is also known as Gairo Nuovo or Gairo Sant'Elena. The current municipality of Cardedu emerged from the settlement on the coast in 1984, which explains the year in the town's coat of arms.
Once a lively town, now just a collection of ruins. The name "Gairo" comes from the Greek words "ga" and "roa" meaning "flowing earth" and is a reference to the sad history of the village. In October 1951, the old town center, today called Gairo Vecchio, and the historic castle complex were almost completely destroyed by flooding and later abandoned in order to rebuild new houses above the half-destroyed village and on the coast. (Sources: Editors Pecora Nera, Wikipedia)