Nuraghes, towers of light

Nuraghes, towers of light

Sardinia without nuraghi would be like Manhattan without skyscrapers, just another island

They land on the nameless island and mark it, forever

They looked at the world around them, the sea, the sky, the earth, and sunk into thought. Then they began to erect mysterious towers, increasingly complex and cyclopean, which mark Sardinia in an original and unmistakable way. Our ancestors were extraordinary architects in prehistoric times, they designed and built thousands and thousands of nuraghi, unique in the world. There are over seven thousand of them unearthed and you can find them everywhere. They are all different but have the same style. They gaze out over cities and towns or the sea, most appear out of nowhere in the countryside, but wherever they are built and whatever their function may have been, chief's residence, fortress, temple, astronomical observatory, there is a special magnetism around them. The places chosen to erect them, from the smallest to veritable palaces, had to be of transcendental significance as well as meeting practical needs. It is no coincidence that the nuraghi are located in the vicinity of other megalithic monuments of earlier times linked to spirituality, such as domus de Janas, menhirs and dolmens. Others dedicated to worship will be built nearby, sacred wells and Giants' tombs. These are special places where you can walk among large stones with a light spirit. It’s natural to feel the thrill of being inside a page of history and ancient civilisation, the original symbol of which is the nuraghe, considered, not surprisingly, the heritage of all.

This is a journey around the island, through some of its majestic Nuragic palaces.

Su Nuraxi, Barumini

It is a pop star among the Nuragic palaces but also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Imposing and fascinating, it stands at the base of sa Jara manna from the ancient Bronze Age. From then until the end of the Iron Age (XVI-VII century BC), a great season of the Nuragic civilisation took place here.

Su Nuraxi

Near Giara, in central-southern Sardinia, the symbol par excellence of the Nuragic civilization, the only Sardinian site that has been named by Unesco

Nuraghe Santu Antine, Torralba

Sa domu de su Re is the King's house, 'the most sophisticated dry-stone construction on the planet' as Michael Hoskin called it. The cyclopean stones of its structure seem like they could collapse on us at any moment. Don’t worry when you visit, they have been there for thousands of years.

Nuraghe Santu Antine

One of the most significant pieces of evidence left to us by the Nuragic civilization stands in Logudoro, in the northwestern part of Sardinia

Nuraghe Losa, Abbasanta

Seen from above, it is like a huge stone clover, three towers of astonishing size and complexity. Walking around its mighty structure, solid and flat, in the shape of an equilateral triangle, perspective views recall the prow of a ship.

Nuraghe Losa

One of the most famous, well-preserved and representative megalithic testimonies of the nuragic civilization is immersed in the green of central...

Nuraghe Arrubiu, Orroli

Arrubiu like the red colour of the lichens that cover the stones. It is a very rare example of a pentalobed nuraghe: the central tower is surrounded by a bastion with five towers, around which runs a bulwark with seven other towers. To say the least, majestic.

Nuraghe Arrubiu

In the Sarcidano area, the central-southern part of Sardinia, there is one of the greatest protohistoric monuments in the whole of Western Europe,...

Nuraghe Palmavera, Alghero

Our ancestors, like modern architects, built on reasoned and organised plans, as demonstrated by a model nuraghe found inside the Palmavera. Today you will see a copy of it; the original is kept in the Sanna Museum in Sassari.

Nuraghe Palmavera

In a bay the Romans called the Harbour of the Nymphs, in the extreme northwestern part of Sardinia, there is a village almost four thousand years...

La Prisgiona, Arzachena

When you think of Gallura, your mind goes to the enchantment of its beaches, but the most interesting remains of the Nuragic civilisation are to be found here, and the royal palace dominating the Capichera wine valley, a few kilometres from the glamorous Porto Cervo, is a must.