Esterzili's territory was populated since the pre-nuragic period. The village was situated in the actual area of Orboredu and Cuccureddí.

In the 69 A.C. the pre-consul AGRIPPA wrote a document in a bronze plate (LA TAVOLA DI BRONZO) in name of the roman emperor OTONE. This document is very important, because it prooves the existence, in that period, of warfares between two populations who lived in the actual Esterzili's area.They were the "GALILLENSES" and the "PATULCENSES".

The Galillenses lived in the mountains of the actual BARBAGIA: an optimum defence area against the roman soldiers who wanted to extend the roman empire also in the center of Sardinia.

Around 594 A.C. the Pope Gregorio Magno sent in Barbagia the missionari, in order to spread out Catholicism in those barbaric areas. Around 1000 Esterzili was included in the "Barbagia of Seulo" and thus belonged to the "Giudicato of Cagliari". In 1330 the Spanish ARAGONA conquered Barbagia and in 1350 it became a stronghold of Giovanni Carroz. In 1478 it was included in the "Kingdom of Sardinia" belonging from the Spanish government. The Carroz family had got the territory until 1603, when the Spanish Pedro Maca kept it in his power under the "Marchesato of Mandas". In 1807 Esterzili was included in Mandas' Prefecture; in 1824 it was assigned to Isili's provence and in 1839 it was under the power of the Spanish Giron. In 1848 it was included in the provence of Cagliari, until 1927, when it was included in the provence of Nuoro. Nowadays it belongs to the same provence.