Travel guide

(tower), representing the oldest part, surrounded by a bastion equipped
with four towers. Between the two elements lies a yard featuring a 20 m
deep well for the supply of potable water. Around the complex, an
antemural with five towers (later seven) develops; whereas outside is a
system of huts, amongst which that of ‘the Parliament’ stands out, where
assemblies of the elderly probably took place. Their prospect is generally
round-shaped and includes a hall, several rooms, a well, and a kiln. The
most relevant monuments of the sacred architecture of the Nuragic Age
The ruins at Tharros
in the Sinis peninsula
are the well-shaped temples, or sacred wells. About forty of them are
known, which are spread all over the Island. The sacred wells were made
with either a cyclopic (i.e. consisting of large non-squared blocks) or
isodome building technique (i.e. of squared blocks), such as the Well of
Santa Cristina. The latter is located in the area of Paulilatino (central
Sardinia), in a land rich of nuraghi and on a small plain situated not far
from the namesake rural church. The complex consists of a large nuragic
village arranged in the shape of a crown relative to the sacred well. The
latter is surrounded by a large elliptical fence and includes a vestibule, a
staircase and a tholos (i.e. false dome) well, in accordance with the
building technique of the nuraghi. The well is the heart of the architectural
compound, as it holds the pure water, site of the divinity. Inside the
vestibule, the religious ritual reserved to the priest or priestess took place,
and offers were also made. The staircase helped to draw the water: sacred
and of common use, this acted as the intermediary between the outer
world and the underground one of the gods.
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