Nuraghes Sardinia

Santa Cristina

The Nuraghe Charm of Sardinia

Most people who visit Sardinia do so to take a break from their hectic lifestyles and to take time off to enjoy the pristine beaches that the place has to offer. But the real charm of this autonomous region of Italy lies in the nuraghe towers that have been around for centuries.  A nuraghe is essentially a single tower or a combination of towers made from rough stone that indicates an ancient village in the vicinity.

Derived from the word ‘nur’ that means ‘hollow heap’ the earliest of these look like rocks from the outside while they are carved from inside to create habitations spaces for people to live in. it is intriguing to see that many nuraghi have several floors too with staircases made of stone.

There are more than 7000 nuraghi that have been preserved as national heritage in the region and visiting all of them is practically impossible. But you must check out one of each kind – the ones that offer a panoramic view and the ones that have an intricate maze of corridors.

Visiting the Nuraghe

The entire island of Sardegna is spotted with Nuraghi and you can take a car and start to explore on your own too. While it is a good idea to look at these from a distance as you stop at the specific locations, it is recommended that you do not try and crawl into one on your own. If you want to check out the inside glory of these ancient masterpieces, you may want to go to the excavated sites.

-          Su Nuraxi di Barumini – Easily reachable by a motor vehicle or car, this Nuraghe location is located 60 kilometers north of Cagliari. There are various Roman, Punic and Nuragic artifacts that have been excavated in this Nuraghe. It is ‘polilobato’ nuraghe and is located on a plateau that is 230 meters higher than the land that surrounds it. It has a central tower surrounded by seven smaller towers

-          Santu Antine – Located outside the city of Torrialba, this Nuraghe has a central tower and various others that surround and connect to it.

-          Nuraghe Losa – Located 3 kilometers south of the village of Abbasanta in Oristano, this is another location that you can reach by car. It is built in the middle of a hill. There are various service entrances to the main tower too.

-          Nuraghe Orrubiu – At a height of 500 meters above the village of Nurri and Orroli is nuraghe Orrubiu. It is an example of a pentalobato nuraghe with five towers surrounding the central tower.

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What were the Nuraghe Built for?

There has been a fair amount of research to try and understand the real reason for the construction of these nuraghi across all of Sardegna. One of the most accepted hypotheses is that the nuraghi were built for territorial defense of the villages. Other than this it is also believed that the nuraghi were also used for civil functions and large gatherings. There are others that feel that it may have been used for religious ceremonies, military posts or even as the dwelling of the chief of the village.

Other Nuraghe

The numbers of nuraghi in Sardegna are so many that it may practically be impossible to cover all in your one trip to the island. But you may also want to ask for nuraghi at Barumini, the Santu Antinenuraghi at Torralba, the Albucciu nuraghi near Arzachena and the Buddusò nuraghi.