Sardinian Monuments and Archaeological Sites

[Mens-Sarda]

Let's inaugurate this thread talking about the most typical Sardinian monuments, the "Nuraghes" (in Logudorese language) or "Nuraxis" (in Campidanese language); the Nuraghes are ancient megalithic towers that can be found in the whole island, there are about 7000 still existent, but the original estimated number was of about 8000-9000; they were built during the Nuragic Age between 1900 and 730 b.C. most of them are composed by a single tower composed of several floors, covered with a "tholos" dome, but others Nuraghes are composed by a central tower connected with 3,4 or 5 towers, also surrounded by a fortified wall and a village, like a medieval castle; with a maximum height of about 25-30 meters in origin.
Similar buildings can be found in southern Corsica, they are called Castelli or Casteddi in Corsican language, they could also be related to the megalithic towers in the Balearic Islands, called Talayots in Catalan language.

Nuraghe Corbos - Silanus (Silanos) - province of Nuoro


Nuraghe Serbissi - Osini - province of Ogliastra


Nuraghe Losa - Abbasanta - province of Oristano







Nuraghe Santu Antine - Torralba (Turalva) - province of Sassari








Su Nuraxi - Barùmini (province of Medio Campidano)








Tholos domes from various Nuraghes






Scale Models of Nuraghes found in archaeological excavations

[Mens-Sarda]

Reconstructions of Nuraghes based upon scale models

[Mens-Sarda]

Nuragic Sacred Wells and Sources

Nuragic Sacred Wells are subterranean wells dedicated to the cult of waters, built during the Nuragic Age between 1900 and 730 b.C., they are composed by a vestibule area enclosed by walls, a covered monumental stair and the well's chamber, covered with a round tholos dome with a hole in the middle, the most famous Sacred Well is that of Santa Cristina near Paulilàtino (province of Oristano), where during the Summer solstice the sunrays enter perpendicularly through the hole illuminating the well's chamber.
The Sacred sources like for Wells, are places dedicated to the cult of waters, the structure is composed by a little temple placed against the rock where the water gushes

Sacred Well of Santa Cristina - Paulilàtino - Province of Oristano


















Sacred Source of Su Tempiesu - Orune - province of Nuoro

[Mens-Sarda]

Tumbas de sos Gigantes (Giants' Tombs)

Giants' Tombs (Italian: Tomba dei giganti, Sardinian: Tumbas de sos gigantes) is the name given by local people and archaeologists to a type of Sardinian megalithicgallery grave built during the Bronze Age by the Nuragic civilization. They can be found throughout Sardinia, with 321 being discovered there.
A stone cairn lies over the burial chambers, with some examples having a cup-shaped entrance similar to the court cairn tombs of Ireland., viewed from above the tomb has a bull's head shape; the Bull was a symbol of strength and was very important for Nuragic civilization.
















Distribution of Tumbas de sos Gigantes in Sardinia



Reconstructions

[askra]

Monte d'Accoddi is an archaeological site in northern Sardinia, Italy, located in the territory of Sassari near Porto Torres.
It is the site of a megalithic structure, the oldest part are dated to around c. 4,000-3,650 BC and discovered in 1954, in a field owned by Segni family. The structure has a base of 27 m by 27 m and probably reached a height of 5.5 m.

It culminated in a platform of about 12.5 m by 7.2 m, accessible via a ramp. It has been variously described as an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It has been partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava.


















menhirs:





sacrificial altar:



spherical rocks that symbolize the Sun, the Moon or the Earth:

[Maximum Speed]

The Castle of Quirra was built by the courts of Cagliari in the middle of the thirteenth century, it was built on top of a high and steep hill (m.296 above sea level) in the locality of "Arcu Genna Scodiasa".

Of this castle, which was the most powerful of Sardinia, today remain only the ruins, that impress for their position and for the memories that give rise also thanks to the many legends.

[askra]

The Basilica della Santissima Trinità di Saccargia (English: "Basilica of the Holy Trinity of Saccargia") is a church in the comune of Codrongianos, northern Sardinia, Italy.
The construction is entirely in local stone (black basalt and white limestone), of Romanesque style.

The church was finished in 1116 over the ruins of a pre-existing monastery, and consecrated on October 5 of the same year.

Its construction was ordered by the giudice (judge) of Torres. It was entrusted to Camaldolese monks who here founded an abbey.

It was later enlarged in Pisane style, including the addition of the tall bell tower. The portico on the façade is also probably a late addition, and is attributed to workers from Lucca (Tuscany).

The church was abandoned in the 16th century, until it was restored and reopened in the early 20th century.

Saccargia, in sardinian s'acca argia means the "spotted cow", because according to a local legend a spotted cow was usually rest on the place where is now built the basilica. The alternate white and black stones of the church and a capital with a cow scuplted in a column of the portico recall to the ancient legend.

[Mens-Sarda]

I found another translation for the name :

Il suo nome non deriva, come spesso erroneamente riportato, dall'espressione in lingua sarda logudorese "s'acca argia" (la vacca pezzata), ma dal nome medioevale, contenuto in documenti in lingua latina: "Sacraria".

Furthermore the name Saccargia is in Italian, in Sardinian is called Saccalza, it's unbelievable how much a name can change after centuries, for example, the village near the church : Codrongianos (in Italian) while in Sardinian "Codronzanos", in medieval times was "Cotronianum" which was the contraction of the ancient roman name "Cohors Traiani"