Sardinia - History:

The history of Sardinia is rich in events and culture: the first human settlements appeared between 6.000 and 5.000 b. C., although traces of civilization date back in the Lower Palaeolithic age (stone tools left near Sassari) and in the upper Palaeolithic age (tools found near Nuoro). It seems that the first men who reached Sardinia probably come from Spain and settled near the Cabras and S. Giusta lakes. However, it is difficult to describe the events because of the fragmentary information left today. The Neolithic age saw the settlement of the peaceful Ozieri people: a unique civilization that lived in villages: they were mainly farmers, produced refined pottery and worked obsidian that was exported all over the Mediterranean Sea. The remains of menhir, dolmen and megalithic circles are the signs of this interesting Sardinian culture left so far. The Ozieri people dug in the rock the"houses of the fairies" locally called Domus de janas, now 1.500 left in the whole Sardinia. From 2700 b.C. on, the Ozieri culture disappeared leaving the territory progressively to the Nuragic civilization that separated Sardinia from the cultural movements active at those times in the Mediterranean area. "King-farmers", the great leaders, ruled the Nuragic population that was divided into tribes that most likely came frequently to conflict. The Nuragic people were basically warriors and lived in classes: the plebe (shepherds, farmers, craftsmen), the priests, and the nobility made of rich land owners. They believed in the Great Mother, the god of fertility and of maternity, as well as the God Taurus and venerated water using sacred well temples since their religion, very important for them, was based on nature. The Nuragic people were also skilful architects and manufacturers: they left many splendid bronzes, small bronze statues of men, animals and objects as characteristic decorative or "ex-voto" statues. They used stone towers known as Nuraghi as dwelling places and fortresses that were built on strategic hills to control the enemy incursions: Nuraghi are truncated conic towers up to 20 mt high made of spare stone blocks and rose up in an elliptical or conic trunk, rich in small corridors, stairs and inner rooms. About 7000 Nuraghi and hundreds of archaeological monuments are now spread in the whole Sardinian territory to witness the control of their civilisation all over Sardinia. The Phoenicians arrived in Sardinia from Lebanon around 1000 B.C. They were merchants and sailors of Semite origin and reached Sardinia with increasing frequency. They had chosen Sardinia during their long trade routes in order to rest for the night or shelter themselves from bad weather conditions. Initially, Phoenicians lived peacefully with the Sardinian Neolithic people. In this first period Phoenician families lived in towns at the sea founding new towns and making trade flourish. Meanwhile the Nuragic people were settled in the inland. Their peaceful living lasted until the Phoenicians tried to conquer the inland, the territory of the native Sardinian, who replied by attacking the coastal cities obliging the Phoenicians to call Carthaginians (or Punic) for help. After many military incursions, in the beginning of 500 b.C., Carthaginians overcame Sardinia gaining the mountainous region in the now called Barbaria. They introduced their gods and religious traditions and used the name of SHRDN for the first time on the Nora's stele, a Phoenician sepulchre stone probably built in the IX century b.C. For nearly 300 years, the splendid Carthaginian civilization flourished sharing the territory with the fascinating local Nuragic culture. Romans defeated the Carthaginians in the first Punic war between III century and V century b.C., Sardinia became a province of Rome while the Nuragic people fought violently for their territory. The Romans founded many new towns among which Turris Libisonis (Porto Torres) Carales, Nora Tharros. During about 700 years of domination the Romans built roads and theatres and were often opposed by the native Sardinians of the mountains who, nevertheless, absorbed the Latin idiom and the Roman civilization. In 456 A.D., Vandals of Africa conquered Sardinia occupying the other coastal cities of Sardinia making the Roman Empire fall. The new domination brought bishops and monks in exile while Paganism persisted. In 534 Vandals were defeated by Byzantium and Sardinia passed under a new Christian control based in Caralis (Cagliari): the administration was divided into districts. In this period Christianity spread throughout the island, except in the Barbagia regions. Meanwhile, the Arabs, the Islamised Berbers, were spreading in the territories of North Africa Spain, part of France reaching Sicily in 827 a.C. Then, Arabs attack to the coastal towns left Sardinia isolated and Byzantium had to abandon the isle. During the IX century the roots of the present Sardinian idiom appeared. At those times Sardinia was divided into 4 kingdoms: Cagliari, Torres, Gallura and Arbores that ruled the territory. In 1297 Pope Boniface VIII settled the "Regnum Sardiniae et Corsicae" passing the leadership under the Crown of Aragon. Some years later the king of Aragon occupied the territories of Cagliari and Gallura and the Sassari with the help of the kings of Arborea that from 1365 to 1409 together with Guglielmo III succeeded in occupying nearly all Sardinia except Cagliari and Alghero. The whole Sardinian territory became part of the kingdom of the king of Sicily and heir to Aragon. At his death the territory of Aragon passed to the Castilians. In 1479, as consequence to the marriage of Ferran II of Aragon and Isabel of Castile the Crown of Spain was born and Sardinia found itself under Spanish domination with the Four Moors kingdom symbol. To protect the coast from the attack of the Berbers, lookout towers were built on the coast to defend the Sardinia that lasted under Spanish domination from 1323 to 1720. During the centuries the Spanish traditions and costumes enriched the Sardinian culture, still today visible in folklore parades. During the War of Succession in 1708 the Austrians took control over Sardinia until 1717 when Spain gained the territory again until 1718 when the Treaty of London handed over the kingdom of Sardinia to the Italian Kingdome of the Dukes of Savoy. Napoleon war strategy in Italy forced the Dukes of Savoy to leave Turin in 1799 taking shelter in Cagliari for about fifteen years. The Sardinians spontaneously waived their autonomy in 1847 joining Piedmont. The new control had a single government based in Turin. Italy union was broken during the Wars of Independence in 1848 bringing Sardinia to be under its kings for thirteen years. In 1861 the kingdom of Sardinia was transformed into the Italian state that afterwards became the Italian Republic in 1946 by a popular referendum.