Santo Stefano prehistoric Altar and Domus de Janas
In a wild and rugged landscape lies this magnificent rock altar, unique on the whole island. This is a gigantic natural rock lying horizontally on the ground that offered a convenient opportunity to nuragic people to dig on its surface a multitude of niches and altars. The same site also offers several other stones carved with strange symbols, and a little further up the hill a series of Domus de Janas, the collective funeral burials excavated in the rock and just over 50 cm tall.
In a wild and rugged landscape lies this magnificent rock altar, unique on the whole island. This is a gigantic natural rock lying horizontally on the ground that offered a convenient opportunity to nuragic people to dig on its surface a multitude of niches and altars. The same site also offers several other stones carved with strange symbols, and a little further up the hill a series of Domus de Janas, the collective funeral burials excavated in the rock and just over 50 cm tall.
length of excursions: 1/2 day
Su Tempiesu sacred well; Su Romanzesu ceremonial village
The Su Romanzesu site has been used exclusively for large ceremonies, and thus had no residential function. Only in special times of the year it welcomed the inhabitants of several villages from the nearby areas, to celebrate sacred functions. On this site, a real park under cork trees, several huts and temples lie on the ground, but most important of all, there is a labyrinth temple and an amphitheater-like sacred well.
The temple-well of Su Tempiesu is embedded in the rock, in a wild and unspoiled nature. It presents various construction phases embedded within itself in a vertical structure leaning against a wall-like rock. The double pitch sloping roof, open and incomplete (the top consists of a monolith stone now located in a museum), protects the small basin of water similar in building technique to the well of Santa Cristina (made by steps), but on a reduced scale, dug into the rock.
The Su Romanzesu site has been used exclusively for large ceremonies, and thus had no residential function. Only in special times of the year it welcomed the inhabitants of several villages from the nearby areas, to celebrate sacred functions. On this site, a real park under cork trees, several huts and temples lie on the ground, but most important of all, there is a labyrinth temple and an amphitheater-like sacred well.
The temple-well of Su Tempiesu is embedded in the rock, in a wild and unspoiled nature. It presents various construction phases embedded within itself in a vertical structure leaning against a wall-like rock. The double pitch sloping roof, open and incomplete (the top consists of a monolith stone now located in a museum), protects the small basin of water similar in building technique to the well of Santa Cristina (made by steps), but on a reduced scale, dug into the rock.
Santa Cristina sacred well and village; Losa nuraghe
The Santa Cristina site has a whole nuragic village in it, very large, with a nuraghe, a Council hut, other huts, and most important of all, the finest and best preserved stylistic example of Sacred Well. The sacred well was a monumental structure dedicated to the worship of water and the Moon: in fact this is the only example of monument on the entire planet to be aligned with the lunar cycle of 18 years and a half, the Saros cycle. It is also aligned to the sun during the equinoxes, showing in this case a beautiful game of light reflection on the water, surely with a sacred significance for the cults of those remote times.
The nuraghe Losa is one of the largest in Sardinia, built with gigantic boulders at its base, which consists of a two-story main tower and two smaller lateral towers supported by the main, and other huts in the neighborhood. Like most of nuraghi in Sardinia, this also presents a spectacular array to the two solstices: the Sun in the summer penetrate the apical hole (at the top) as a ray of light and went to illuminate the central niche of the room, meanwhile in winter was the main entrance hole which lent the entrance of light, hitting the exact same niche.
The Santa Cristina site has a whole nuragic village in it, very large, with a nuraghe, a Council hut, other huts, and most important of all, the finest and best preserved stylistic example of Sacred Well. The sacred well was a monumental structure dedicated to the worship of water and the Moon: in fact this is the only example of monument on the entire planet to be aligned with the lunar cycle of 18 years and a half, the Saros cycle. It is also aligned to the sun during the equinoxes, showing in this case a beautiful game of light reflection on the water, surely with a sacred significance for the cults of those remote times.
The nuraghe Losa is one of the largest in Sardinia, built with gigantic boulders at its base, which consists of a two-story main tower and two smaller lateral towers supported by the main, and other huts in the neighborhood. Like most of nuraghi in Sardinia, this also presents a spectacular array to the two solstices: the Sun in the summer penetrate the apical hole (at the top) as a ray of light and went to illuminate the central niche of the room, meanwhile in winter was the main entrance hole which lent the entrance of light, hitting the exact same niche.
Hypogeum temple; Sant'Antine nuraghe
The underground temple of St. Andrea Priu was dedicated to the worship of the bull. You can understand this by the presence of a sculpture of a bull of very important dimensions. Unfortunately, in the Christian period this bull's head was severed from the body, to try eradicating the pagan cult's strong presence on the island from ancient times. It was found that this temple is astronomically aligned to the winter solstice, through the entrance of a solar ray that slips underground along all the three rooms there, hitting a false door carved into the wall.
Nuraghe Santu Antine is perhaps the most spectacular and impressive of the island, with several floors arranged one over the other, tunnels and galleries. Even this nuraghe is oriented astronomically, like most of these structures.
The underground temple of St. Andrea Priu was dedicated to the worship of the bull. You can understand this by the presence of a sculpture of a bull of very important dimensions. Unfortunately, in the Christian period this bull's head was severed from the body, to try eradicating the pagan cult's strong presence on the island from ancient times. It was found that this temple is astronomically aligned to the winter solstice, through the entrance of a solar ray that slips underground along all the three rooms there, hitting a false door carved into the wall.
Nuraghe Santu Antine is perhaps the most spectacular and impressive of the island, with several floors arranged one over the other, tunnels and galleries. Even this nuraghe is oriented astronomically, like most of these structures.
Sos Nurattolos ceremonial village
On top of a mountain over 1000 meters high is one of the few large ceremonial villages of Sardinia, with incredible views across the surrounding plateau. Distributed on a path that climbs up the mountain there is a sacred spring with a courtyard, a hut with a circular vestibule, an oracular shrine combined with a room and shared courtyard entrance, a large hut that was probably used as a Council hut.
On top of a mountain over 1000 meters high is one of the few large ceremonial villages of Sardinia, with incredible views across the surrounding plateau. Distributed on a path that climbs up the mountain there is a sacred spring with a courtyard, a hut with a circular vestibule, an oracular shrine combined with a room and shared courtyard entrance, a large hut that was probably used as a Council hut.
And many more ...
There are many other sites in this area that we have not included in this list. If you need more information, please contact us to arrange a personalized itinerary in these sites.
There are many other sites in this area that we have not included in this list. If you need more information, please contact us to arrange a personalized itinerary in these sites.
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length of excursions: full day, you choose the places
To book guided excursions:
0789 70 83 80 - (Mon-Fri 18-20:30)
335 81 65 504 - Arianna
0789 70 83 80 - (Mon-Fri 18-20:30)
335 81 65 504 - Arianna