Sardinia - I Nuraghi:

Nuraghi: During the second millennium b.C. arrived in Sardinia people, probably from the East who founded the Nuragic civilization that spread all over Sardinia leaving behind them the most representative archaeological signs of the past: about 8000 nuraghes with their peculiar architectural structure of square stone blocks and elliptical or conic trunk. Stone towers used as dwelling places and fortresses.

Nuraghe "Su Nuraxi" - Barumini: This nuraghe lays on the Marmilla territory by the road that leads from Barumini to Tuili. This nuraghe raises on a small plateau 230 mt from sea level and shows a central tower surrounded by a bastion with four towers and held by hexagonal-shaped walls, having seven towers and seven corridors and two separated entrances. The main tower of Barumini’s nuraghe dated back to XII-XI century b.C.

Nuraghe S.Antine - Torralba: This nuraghe most commonly known as "de Santu Antine" (of Saint Costantino) represents one of the greatest and best kept settlements of the whole Sardinia. Made of trachyte it has a triangular bastion with three towers with angles that hold a court and a well. The central tower having a diameter of 15,5 meters is 17,5 high and originally probably reaches more that 20 meters.

Nuraghe LOSA - Abbasanta (Oistano): The Losa nuraghe locates about 3 km south of Abbasanta village (Oristano) is reachable from State route n° 131. The nuragic complex that rises at the center of a vast basalt plateau is made by a three-lobated nuraghe originally protected by a wall with towers (nowadays there is only a small part of the wall with two towers) and by the nearby village, all held in a ellipsoidal great wall with small towers used as accesses and with many other service entrances. Inside there are the original rooms with the tholoi as covering and big niches, in-wall stairs that reach the terrace, passages and corridors.

Nuraghe Orrubiu - Orroli: located about 500 mt above sea level on a plateau over-viewing the villages of Nurri and Orroli. Mighty example of penta-lobed nuraghe has a central tower surrounded by a five-towered bastion, itself closed in a great wall of seven towers and strengthened at the south-east side by a second circle of walls with other five towers.

Nuraghe Palmavera - Alghero: The Palmavera Nuraghe is located on the road that joins Alghero gulf and the Porto Conte gulf. The complex is made by an old tower then closed in an irregularly elliptical circular wall and a second tower communicating with a central court. A circle of walls delimits the complex with four hut towers surrounded by the old village. This complex dates back from XIII and VI century b.C.

The "bronzetti" of Sardinia: dated between VIII and V century b.C. They are characteristic decorative little bronze statues portraying men, warriors, animals, showing how skilful architects and brave warriors their creators, Nuragic people, were. Nowadays about 400 are preserved in the national museums of Sardinia.



Sardinia - Archeological sites:

Nora, Archeological Park (Cagliari): In the archaeological site of Nora you will see remarkable mosaics of the nobles’ houses, the ruins of the Baths, temples and houses and above all the interesting theatre.

Tharros, peninsula of Sinis (Oristano): In San Giovanni di Sinis village there is Tharros, founded by Phoenicians, one of the most important Archaeological sites of the whole Mediterranean.

Acquafredda Castle, Siliqua (Cagliari): In the valley of Cixerri suddenly appears the inaccessible rock of the medieval fortress of Acquafredda, built in the XIII century by Count Ugolino della Gherardesca mentioned in the “Divine comedy” written by Dante Alighieri (Inferno XXXIII canto).

Roman Baths, Fordongianus (Oristano): in the Tirso valley, in Fordongianus, there is the ancient “Forum Traiani” once the most important town of the whole Sardinia during the Roman period, with the greatest fortress against the barbarians.

Pranu Matteddu, Goni (Cagliari): on the road to Goni, it is well visible the necropolis of Pranu Mutteddu. It is an important evidence of the Neolithic civilization in Sardinia. Particularly interesting are the tombs called “domus de janas”, the most characteristic monuments of the Ozieri culture, made by big sandstones at the center of a large circle of menhirs. Remarkable the long line of menhirs placed oriented according to the sun rays.

Tophet, S. Antioco (Cagliari): Among the excavations of the Sant’Antioco Punic necropolis there are the Tophet, sacred and burial place for prematurely dead children. Their ashes were put in pots so far most of them that may be seen.

The Towers: The towers of Sardinia were built from 1500 onwards to serve as defense, most of them built on the coasts. They were built in strategic positions and in a way that they could communicate to each other by day and by night and defended by ports, mines, salines and villages.



Sardinia - The museums:

Cagliari and its province:

Museo Archeologico (Archaeological Museum) Nazionale di Cagliari
Piazza Arsenale, 8 - Cittadella dei Musei (Cagliari)

Museo Archeologico (Archaeological Museum) - Barumini (Cagliari)

Museo Archeologico (Archaeological Museum) "Genna Maria" - Villanovaforru (Cagliari)
Piazza Costituzione, 1

Museo Archeologico (Archaeological Museum) - S.Antioco (Cagliari)
via Castello - area dell'"Acropoli"

Museo Archeologico (Archaeological Museum) - Pula (Cagliari)
Area archeologica di Nora

Museo Archeologico (Archaeological Museum) di Villa Sulcis - Carbonia (Cagliari)
Area archeologica di Monte Sirai

Museo Archeologico (Archaeological Museum) - Sardara (Cagliari)
piazza Libertà

Nuoro and its province:

Museo Civico Speleo-Archeologico (Archaeological Museum) di Nuoro
via Leonardo da Vinci, 5

Museo Archeologico (Archaeological Museum) - Teti (Nuoro)
via Roma

Museo Archeologico (Archaeological Museum) - Dorgali (Nuoro)
via Lamarmora

Oristano and its province:

Antiquarium Arborense (Oristano)
via Parpaglia, 37

Area Archeologica "Nuraghe Losa" - Abbasanta (Oristano)

Area Archeologica di Tharros - Cabras (Oristano)

Sassari and its province:

Museo Archeologico (Archaeological Museum) Nazionale "Giovanni Antonio Sanna" - Sassari
via Roma, 64

Museo Archeologico (Archaeological Museum) e Paleobotanico - Perfugas (Sassari)
via Nazario Sauro, 21

Museo Archeologico (Archaeological Museum) Etnografico - Ittireddu (Sassari)
via S.Giacomo