For a long vacation, Ania and I decided to visit Sardinia, as this was the last and only missing region of Italy for me to visit. We flew into Cagliari late at night and then took a shared taxi to the city center, where we checked into our accommodation, the Cramu bed & breakfast, right by the station and close to the old town. The next morning, we woke up early and started exploring the city. We reached one of the main streets, Largo Carlo Felice, which was beautifully filled with flowering purple jacaranda trees all along it. From there, we entered the old town proper, passing through the small but picturesque Piazzetta Savoia, and then entering the nearby church of Santo Sepolcro. Probably dating to ancient times, the current building dates to the 16th century, with later additions particularly during the Baroque period. The interior is in fact a mix of styles and periods, with a 16th-century ribbed vault over the presbytery and a 16th-century crucifix, while the main altar is neoclassical from the 19th century, and the Cappellone della Vergine della Pietà, a beautiful example of 17th-century baroque in the city. A very interesting feature was a trapdoor that led underground to the 17th-century crypt consisting of three barrel-vaulted chambers used for burials. Traces of frescoes were still visible on the walls, including a painting depicting death represented as a skeleton dressed in an ermine cloak and holding a scythe with the sentence "Nemini parco", meaning I spare no one. Right above the church, up some stairs, we then visited another church, Sant'Antonio Abate, built in the 18th century with a large central cupola covering the majority of the interior. Once outside, we continued along the street and then reached an opening where we then admired the imposing Bastione San Remy. This modern bastion was built from 1896 to 1902 over the previous Renaissance city walls to provide an open and scenic terrace and connection between the upper fortified castle town and the lower town. It was badly damaged in 1943 during the WWII bombings of the city, but refurbished thereafter. From there, we started heading a bit outside of the city center to reach the Basilica of San Saturnino, Cagliari's oldest church. Originally an early Christian church from the 5th century, it was rebuilt during the Byzantine era in the following century. In 1089, the complex was donated to the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of Saint Victor of Marseille, who then refurbished the church according to the Romanesque style in 1119. It was then damaged in the 14th century by the besieging Aragonese and later repaired, and after centuries, it was again damaged in 1943. Only part of the Basilica survives, from the transept to the presbytery, while the rest is ruined, with a few columns and parts of walls remaining and the rest is a small archaeological site consisting of an early Christian necropolis. The surviving cupola dates to the earliest time of the church, while the rest is from the Romanesque period. Inside were traces of reuse from previous periods, such as the columns, as well as a trace of an Arabic inscription from the 9th or 10th century. After the visit, we walked a bit further and then reached the sanctuary of Nostra Signora di Bonaria, located on a small hilltop close to the seafront. The sanctuary was built in a Gothic Catalan style in the 14th century and then flanked by a much larger and grandiose 18th-century neoclassical basilica. It is one of the most important Marian sites on the island and houses the wooden statue of the Madonna and Child, which, according to tradition, miraculously washed up on the beach in front of the Bonaria hill in 1370. The name of the sanctuary was also used for the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires. Unfortunately, the complex was not accessible at the time of our visit due to a wedding, so we just saw it from the outside and admired a view of the fortified old town from afar, after which we started heading back to the city center. Once there, our next stop was the church of Sant'Eulalia, built in the Gothic Catalan style around 1370, which was then refurbished in the Baroque style between the 17th and 18th centuries. Annexed to it, we then visited the small archaeological museum, which consists of a Roman-era road, later covered by another road during the medieval period, the remains of a small temple, a colonnade, and various rooms, also from the Roman era, all found under the church. Inside a couple of rooms above ground, we then also saw the little museum of the Treasure of Sant'Eulalia, which houses vestments and sacred works, and paintings by Sardinian artists from the 16th to the 19th century. Continuing on, we reached another neighborhood, to the west of the fortified old town, and came up to the impressive collegiate church of Sant'Anna, built in the 18th century in baroque style with two flanking bell towers to replace an older 13th-century church. Unfortunately, the church was closed, so we could only see it from the outside. Right next to it, though, we then entered the crypt of Santa Restituita, a hypogeum partly natural and partly carved into the rock. It was used since the late Punic and Roman eras, certainly as a quarry for materials, and then as a place for worship in that same period, and then over to the early Christian period. In the 13th century, the site was consecrated to the African martyr Saint Restituta, whose relics had been in Sardinia since the 5th century. After a period of abandonment, it was rediscovered in the early 17th century, and when the relics were found, the bishop began work to embellish the altars and the rest of the crypt. During the Second World War, the hypogeum was used as a shelter during the bombings. Once back outside, we first passed by the church of Sant'Efisio, which was closed, and then reached and entered that of San Michele. This Jesuit complex consists of a monumental covered atrium and vestibule, leading to the former Jesuit novitiate house, and the church built between the 17th and 18th centuries in a baroque and later rococo style, probably representing the main example of those styles in Sardinia. Once inside the church, we marveled at the large octagonal central plan topped by a frescoed cupola and surrounded by rich and lavish marbles, typical in Jesuit churches. A highlight was the open sacristy, which a friendly volunteer described to us, built in the Rococo style and featuring a lavish marble pavement, richly frescoed ceiling, wonderful inlaid furniture, and around eight paintings depicting stories and miracles of Jesuit saints. It was then time to go for lunch, and on the way we passed by the Sperone Tower, a trace of the medieval Cagliari, built by the Pisans when they still ruled the area in the 13th century. We then opted for a place called Cavò Bistrot, where we had a nice meal. Then, from there, we decided to head to visit the core of the old town. We passed by the church of Santa Chiara, next to which was an elevator, saving us some stairs. We were now on the Renaissance ramparts of the walls that encircled the center of the old town. Here was also the Torre dell'Elefante, a 30m high medieval tower built in 1307 by the Pisans, which took its name from a small sculpture depicting an elephant put on a shelf protruding from the wall, chosen because it was one of the symbols used by Pisa. Continuing on, we walked through some narrow alleys until we reached a small opening, Piazza Carlo Alberto, where we then had the Cathedral right in front. We climbed a set of stairs and passed by the Palazzo di Città, which once served as the town hall from the Middle Ages until the early 20th century, before building a new town hall down close to the port, while now used as a museum. Next to it, we entered the Cathedral, originally built by the Pisans in the 13th century in a Romanesque style, which was heavily refurbished in a Baroque style between the 17th and 18th centuries. Its baroque facade was then scrapped in the 1930s and replaced by a neo-romanesque one inspired by the Pisa Cathedral. Among the many beautiful marble altars and decorations are the mausoleum of Martino I of Sicily, the altar of Sant'Isidoro, and the chapel of Santa Cecilia, while much older is the pulpit made by Mastro Guglielmo. This was initially made for the Pisa Cathedral in 1160 but donated to Cagliari in 1312, and intended to strengthen the bond between the two cities and thus express the importance that the city had in the commercial strategy of the Tuscan city before falling shortly after to the Aragonese. The pulpit, a true masterpiece of medieval art, now sits on the wall of the central nave and is divided into two parts with scenes from the Gospel, but with the very expressive characters dressed in medieval clothing. At the foot of the presbytery, there are four lions, clutching four prey: a bear, a man, a dragon, and a bull, which were originally part of the pulpit but were later moved there. Another highlight of the Cathedral was the crypt, known as the Martyrs' Sanctuary, consisting of three chapels carved into the rock beneath the presbytery in 1618. It was done so at the behest of Archbishop de Esquivel to house the 192 relics distributed in beautifully decorated niches, the work of masters from Cagliari and Sicily. Once we visited the Cathedral, we continued our walk passing by the Palazzo Regio, the former residence of the king's representative during the Aragonese, Spanish, and Savoyard dominations, and currently the seat of the Prefecture. Not too far ahead, we then reached the San Pancrazio tower, built by the Pisans in the 14th century, and with 37m in height, the tallest in town. Next to it was the medieval gate with the same name, and in front, the Porta Cristina, a neoclassical gate from 1825, substituting the older Porta del Soccorso from the 17th century. Nearby was also a third gate, Porta Arsenale, which granted access to the highest and most defended part of the town and where the citadel and later royal arsenal stood. Nowadays, its building holds museums and offices, and we proceeded to visit the National Archaeological Museum first. It exhibits many of Sardinia's most significant archaeological pieces, mainly from the provinces of Cagliari and Oristano, but also from other provinces of the island. The timeline ranges from prehistoric times to the Byzantine era and includes statuettes of mother goddesses, Nuragic vases and bronzes, Phoenician jewelry, imperial jewelry, and Byzantine coins. Among the highlights were the reconstruction of the tophet of Tharros, a Phoenician-Punic sanctuary with an open-air sacred area where urns containing the cremated remains of stillborn or prematurely deceased infants were placed on the rock or ground, and the statues of the Giants of Mont'e Prama, ancient sculptures that represent archers, warriors, and boxers dating back to the Nuragic civilization. The museum was really nice, and the majority of those exhibited came from archaeological sites that we would then visit in the next days throughout the island. Next up was the National Art Gallery, connected to it. It held paintings from the 15th century to the modern era, and its highlights include a collection of 15th and 16th-century altarpieces, most of which come from the destroyed church of San Francesco di Stampace in Cagliari. These altarpieces included early Iberian examples with a penetration of Catalan-Valencian taste on the island and the products of the local Cavaro workshop and the related Stampace school, which developed thereafter. Once we had visited the museums, we headed back out and left the fortified old town, heading northwards and walking by and above the ancient Roman amphitheater. From up there, we had an amazing view of this impressive monument, partly carved into the rock of the hillside and dating to the 2nd century AD. Despite it being used as a quarry throughout the centuries, what remains is still impressive and probably among the best I have seen due to its setting. As we headed out of the city center, we then reached the Grotta della Vipera, a Roman burial chamber in the form of a small cave with a facade with two columns and a pediment, and featuring a pronaos and two burial chambers. It was built by the Roman Lucius Cassius Philippus in honor of his wife, the matron Atilia Pomptilla, in the 2nd century. Once there, though, we found out that to access it, one needed to pay an entry ticket, but nonetheless, it could only be seen from the outside, so to get closer by literally just two meters, we decided to see it from the open gate instead. Nearby, after walking a bit uphill through a residential area, we reached a park where the Tuvixeddu Necropolis is located. It originally covered 80 hectares and is the largest Punic necropolis ever discovered. Between the 6th and 3rd centuries BC, the Carthaginians chose the hill to bury their dead, with burials accessible through a shaft dug entirely into the limestone rock, ranging from two and a half to eleven meters in depth. Inside the shaft, a small opening led to the burial chamber or burial cell, and many of these burial chambers were also finely decorated. Walking around the park was really impressive with the huge amount of burials dotting the landscape around like a honeycomb. After walking around the whole park, we headed back towards the city center and on the way stopped to see the Villa di Tigellio, the ruins of three dwellings and a Roman-era thermal area dating from the 1st century BC to the 6th century AD. Moving on, we walked through the old town and reached the eastern part, Villanova, right below the fortified upper town. Here we walked through some nice alleys decorated with plants and flowers, and then reached a lovely square, piazza San Domenico. Here was the judicial cross of San Domenico, dating from the 15th century, one of the many crosses of this type which were significant religious symbols, supporting processions and located near churches or convents and serving a jurisdictional purpose by marking the boundaries of ecclesiastical power and functioning as legal and administrative landmarks at city access points. Continuing along the street departing from the cross, we then reached the church of San Giacomo, once a Gothic Catalan church refurbished in the 18th and 19th centuries, but with still the original 15th-century bell tower. Next to it, we then also visited the small oratory of the Santissimo Crocifisso, built in the 17th century in a baroque style with an impressive interior featuring a nicely decorated wooden altar. At that point, we headed back to our accommodation, having completed the visit to the city, and after a shower were ready to go out for dinner. We chose a spot not too far, Sa Domu Sarda, where I had steak, and Ania tried the culurgiones, a stuffed type of pasta.
The next morning, we woke up and headed towards the airport, where we picked up the car, which we would have for the rest of our journey. We left the city and drove north, reaching shortly after the town of Dolianova, where we intended to visit its main church, that of San Pantaleo, a co-cathedral with that of Cagliari. This beautiful sandstone Romanesque structure was built between the 12th and 13th centuries with some Gothic influences in its later stages of construction. Its exterior presented a wide variety of beautiful sculptural decorations, depicting geometric, anthropomorphic, and mythological figures. The interior was very nice as well, with an aedicule supported by four columns and two lions and a human figure right by the entrance, then massive pillars with some capitals carved with scenes from the New Testament and others with crocheted leaves. Then there was a baptismal font from the 5th-6th century, predating the church, and many traces of medieval frescoes, one of which depicts the Tree of Life from the 14th century with three circles, the central one depicting Christ crucified and the other two depicting saints and prophets. Next to that fresco, the beautiful Retablo di San Pantaleo, dated to the late 15th century, is a panel consisting of six paintings detailing the life of the saint and a Madonna with a book. After visiting the church, we got back in the car and drove off to a remote hilly area away from any urban agglomeration. Here, in a quite isolated forested area, we visited our first of many sites, the Pranu Muttedu archaeological complex. This is one of the most important funerary areas of prehistoric Sardinia and was actually inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list a month after our visit as the "Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sardinia – The domus de janas" site, one of many on the island. After parking the car, we bought the entry ticket and visited this site, starting out with its western part, where we first saw the menhirs, dating to the 4th and 3rd millennium B.C., some of which were distributed in pairs, groups, or arrays, the largest of which featured a line of 20 of them one after the other. I was really looking forward to seeing all the prehistoric sites in Sardinia, and this first one did not disappoint and gave me a really mystical and special feeling, especially as it was just the two of us alone there visiting. Next to the menhirs were also some tombs that once formed a necropolis and the bases of some huts once part of a prehistoric village. We then walked to the second part of the site, to the south of the road, where we saw some more menhirs, tombs, huts, and also a new addition, the so-called domus de janas. Their name, meaning house of fairies or witches in Sardinia, refers to a type of pre-Nuragic rock-cut chamber tomb found across the whole island and consists of one or more chambers quarried out and resembling houses in their layout. On this site, we saw four of them, and it was really nice as they were set among a picturesque landscape surrounded by rocks topped with purple and pink moss. After that, it was time for another site, which we reached after a bit of driving and heading up a plateau, the Giara di Serri. The sanctuary of Santa Vittoria, despite its name referring to the Romanesque style church built over a place of Roman worship, which rises at the westernmost tip of the site, is actually thousands of years old, as it was frequented starting from the first phase of the Nuragic civilization, corresponding to the Middle Bronze Age. The Nuragic civilization, which will be a main theme throughout our travels in Sardinia, was a culture that developed on the island during the Middle and Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age from the 18th century to the 8th century BC. During the 6th century BC, conflict with Carthaginian imperialism first, and then Roman imperialism, led to its decline, though it survived in the central-eastern part, known as Barbagia, at least until the 2nd century AD, and, according to some scholars, even until the early Middle Ages. The civilization owes its name to the nuraghi, imposing megalithic constructions considered to be its most eloquent vestiges, whose actual function has been debated for at least five centuries, and which we would see many examples of during our travels through the island. So, after reaching the site, we parked the car, got our ticket, and began exploring the site. We started out by walking through the whole site and reaching the southwestern part where the church of Santa Vittoria is located, originally dating to the Byzantine period. it was then rebuilt in the 8th or 9th centuries. Right in front of it, standing on this plateau, we had a beautiful view of the open valley below stretching all the way towards Cagliari and the sea. Turning around we then started visiting the ruins of the prehistoric site which included the remains of a nuragic tower dating to the Bronze Age,13th century B.C., and next to it the beautiful well temple, the most important place in the whole sanctuary, dedicated to the worship of water in the form of a circular key head, and a staircase leading down to the well. Next up was the so-called enclosure of the feasts or meetings, the largest building on the site, with a size of 40 by 50 metres, on which various buildings surround it, including a portico, a market, a kitchen, and some huts. It is thought this was the place where pilgrims celebrated the local deity, with festivities that lasted for some days and attracted people living nearby, as well as being a place where the powerful clans of the area met in federal assemblies, to consecrate alliances or to decide wars. On the northwestern edge of the site, we then reached what is called the chieftain's hut, even though it consists of a temple and three huts which are interconnected: two of them circular in shape, while the third, built between the other two, is roughly quadrangular in shape. From there, we then reached the eastern end, where we first passed by the curia or meeting hut, as it featured seats running all along the perimeter that could accommodate up to 50 people, leading to the belief that it was used as a meeting place. Nearby were then a series of huts and then a single isolated hut believed to be the hut of the village priest. Once we had completed the visit, we got back in the car and were off to discover the next site. We approached the small town of Barumini, and just outside reached the site of the Su Nuraxi, the prime example of the nuraghe in Sardinia, and the only Unesco site on the island at the time of our visit, as the domus the janas would be inscribed two months later. This site could only be visited with a guided tour, so we got our ticket and waited for the next turn. Our group then headed through the gate and came upon the imposing figure of the nuraghe, the largest and best-preserved in the whole island. It features a central tower with three superposed chambers reaching a height of nearly 19m, and much higher when it was still fully standing. It is the oldest part, dating to between the 17th and 13th centuries B.C., while later, between the 14th and 12th centuries, four smaller towers with a sturdy wall were built around the central one. During this latter period, a village with defensive walls and three towers was erected around the complex, and then further expanded with additional towers until the 9th century B.C. Sometime between the 9th and 6th centuries, the village was almost completely destroyed, but a new settlement was built over the previous one, with new types of huts. The huts of Su Nuraxi are unique on the island in terms of their complexity and architectural evolution. In the 5th century B.C., the Punics took over, and later did the Romans.The site was inhabited until the 3rd century AD and sporadically frequented until the 7th century. As we visited the site, the guide explained all the history and the information regarding it, and then we headed up to the top of the central tower for a nice panoramic view over the complex and the surroundings, and then also through the lower chambers, which were cool and mysterious. Once the tour was complete, we headed into the town of Barumini and visited the church of the Immacolata Concezione, built in late Gothic style in the 16th century with a nice marble main altar and other decorated wooden altars in the side chapels. In front of the church was the Palazzo Zapata, a beautiful 17th-century baroque palace, hosting a museum. Inside, we visited a collection of objects and artifacts coming from the nearby Su Nuraxi as well as a surprising nuraghe, Nuraxi e’ Cresia, on top of which the palace was built. The nuraghe was discovered in the 90s and dates to between the 14th and 10th centuries B.C. and can now be seen with suspended walkways and transparent floors inside the palace, and is still the object of archaeological excavations, discovering new things by the day. After the visit to the museum, the day was coming to an end, but we still had another site along the way. We drove eastwards, reaching again a remote hilly area where we then stopped for another nuraghe, the nuraghe Arrubiu. Its name is either owed to the characteristic reddish color given by traces of iron in the basalt of which the blocks are composed, or in reference to the color of the red lichens that grow on its walls. It consists of a 15m high central tower, originally twice that height, surrounded by a mighty bastion formed by five towers, which in turn is surrounded by a defensive wall with seven more towers connected by curtain walls. Inside, there are several courtyards, while to the southeast is another rampart with five more towers connected by walls. In total, Arrubiu has 21 towers, making it one of the largest nurgahe. This was accessible without a guide, and there were only two other people there, which made it even more special. We walked around the complex, walked through some of the chambers, and then visited the other traces of buildings, like huts and service buildings. At that point, it was time to go, and our drive eastwards led us to the town of Osini, where we would be spending the night, at the Hotel dei Tacchi, with a nice view of the town and the surrounding rocky and forested landscape. For dinner, there wasn't much in tow, so we drove 5 minutes to the nearby Ulassai and ate at a place called Fiko, where I had chicken teriyaki with rice, and Ania had chickpeas in a spinach sauce with rice and salad, but which wasn't that good.
The next morning, we woke up early to another bright day and enjoyed the view from our hotel while having breakfast. Then a short drive above town led us to the Scala di San Giorgio. This narrow gorge, formed by a fracture in the edge of the plateau and bordered by high, looming rock walls 50 meters high, has a unique feature: it is crossed by a strip of asphalt that starts from the village and allows for easy access, which we used to get there. Once we parked, we took a staircase leading up along the rocky face of the mountain and then reached the top, from where we had an amazing view. Behind us were the tall vertical rock faces of the gorge, while in front, the town of Orsini and the valley below, surrounded by mountains, and in the distance, the sea. Once back down to the car, a short drive led us to the Su Marmuri cave, where we had booked a visit. Once there, we waited for our turn, and once we were ready left with the group to enter the cave. We were a large group, about 25 to 30 people, but only four spoke Italian, so we would get the first information in Italian from the guide, and were let on at each part to walk further and enjoy the cave in relative silence, while the foreigners would then stay behind and get the English version. That made the cave much more enjoyable, and what an impressive sight it was. Already by entering it, we first had to climb a bit through the forest and rocks, and then a staircase led down a large opening in the cliffside, which, as it grew darker, got deeper and wider. This whole antechamber was huge, and then the visit extends on a relatively flat way for 850m, of many more which cannot be visited in the tourist route. The cave was formed 150 million years ago by the erosive force of water and features two underground lakes, really imposing halls with very high ceilings, numerous calcite concretions, and magnificent stalactites, stalagmites, and columns. When I visit caves, I generally say that it's always the best one ever, but this time I really believed it was one of the most impressive. After the visit, we decided to eat at the restaurant right next to the cave, where we had a tasty meal. From there, we also had a great view of a rocky plateau right in front of us, known as the Tacco di Ulassai, and very popular abroad, especially among climbers. We decided to drive right below it to then have a view of the town of Ulassai from above, which was quite picturesque. We then left the area, driving east and finally reaching the seaside at the Torre di Barì beach. We parked the car and went on to walk on the large expanse of golden sand. The wind was blowing strongly, but the view was incredible, and with barely anyone around. We laid our towels on the sand and enjoyed the fantastic, crystal clear water at our feet. I then decided to head to the tower that gives its name to the beach. It was built in 1572 to defend the territory from continuous raids by Saracen pirates, like many others that dot the whole coast of the island, always in sight of the other to be able to send signals. It sits on a rocky promontory that divides the coastline into two, with two beaches extending in either direction. From here, I had a nice view of both beaches, and as the sun was blowing from the south, the southern beach was very windy and with no people, while the one we had chosen was protected, and a few beachgoers were there, all foreign, of course. I decided then to have a swim between the rocks right below the tower, and even though the water was still quite cold, it was really refreshing and enjoyable. I had taken a mask with me, so I swam around and saw a lot of fish, and what surprised me was even seeing a small moray eel, so close to the coast, and trying to defend itself when I got too close. After the swim, I went back to Ania and lay in the sun for a bit. Then we decided to move and drove northwards along the coast to stop at another beach. The road to get there was quite steep, sandy, and rough, but after arriving and parking the car, a short walk led us to a beautiful place. It had soft white sand, shallow waters, smooth rocks, and emerald hues of water. I first went swimming, for which I had to walk quite a bit out in the water due to the shallowness, and then decided to explore the rocky promontory nearby to have nice views of the coast looking northwards with the clear outline of the Supramonte mountain range in the distance. After enjoying the beach for a while, we decided it was time to go and continued our drive north, leaving the coast behind and starting to head uphill to reach the mountain town of Baunei. Situated at about 450m up the side of the Supramonte mountain, it enjoys a favorable position overlooking the sea, not too far to the east. Once we arrived there, we parked the car and then walked a little bit to get to our accommodation, the Via Roma Charming Rooms, as the street was really narrow and with no parking available. The place was really nice, and we decided to have dinner with some stuff we had bought at the supermarket.
The following morning, after an early rise, we drove up the Supramonte and reached the nice plateau of the Altopiano del Golgo, surrounded by low trees and a land used by shepherds for ages. Here we reached a place called Su Porteddu, which was a camping and a parking lot. We parked there, and even if it was still super early, the place was already quite full of cars, especially camper vans, mostly foreigners, which these days crowd the island like insects. Next to the parking lot was a ticket office; we had to book an entry slot, with a maximum of 250 people allowed per day, and pay 7 euros to then be able to access a trail that, in over an hour, leads down to the famous Cala Goloritzé. We had booked and paid, but what bothered me was that this had probably set a precedent, allowing many other beaches and places to do the same and eventually charge an entry fee for a public place and set a limit to people visiting. The days of enjoying the moment and deciding last minute are over. After hiking along the trail through the bush and rocks, we reached a vantage point from where we could see the narrow canyon leading down to the beach. Instead of heading there directly, we took another route and headed up a trail through more bushes and rocks and past wooden structures used by the shepherds to wait during the day or even occasionally as shelter for longer periods. Despite the early hour and relatively early season, it got warm quickly, but we continued on, happy with the shade provided by the plants. After a final uphill stretch, scrambling through rocks, we eventually reached the Punta Salinas, a vantage point set at 466m. From here we had an amazing view of the whole coast looking northwards and right below us the Goloritzé beach, created by a landslide in 1962, and above it the picturesque pyramid-shaped spire of Monte Caroddi, 143m high and popular among climbers. The view was really amazing, and we enjoyed seeing the imposing 500-meter-high cliffs covered with Mediterranean scrub heading down into the vast expanse of the sea. This unspoiled and wild area is one of the coastal stretches of the Gulf of Orosei, where sea and mountains meet in perfect harmony. What made it even more amazing was the fact that we were the only ones there, and everything seemed so small and far. At that point, it was time to head to the beach itself. The way down was much harder and steeper, with us scrambling down rocky paths and tree branches. Eventually, we made it back to the main trail and, after a bit of walking through the canyon, reached the beach. Once there, a man was checking if people had the tickets, quite ridiculous, and after checking ours told us to go down the ladder to get to the sandy part. The beach, which is undoubtedly really nice, is very small, and despite there not being many people, it seemed already quite full with about 50-60 people that I had counted. I couldn't imagine when it reaches its limit of 250. We found a small spot among the rocks and set our towels down. I then decided to swim a bit and explore the area, but with the relatively small size of it and many people around it wasn't as enjoyable as I expected. As time passed, more people started arriving, and usually, the last available entry time is 2pm, as it takes time to hike down and then back up before the closing time at 5pm. We stayed until lunchtime, which we enjoyed there while admiring the glistening of the crystal clear blue water and the spire overlooking the beach to the side. Many boats were also approaching the beach, but as they could not reach it anymore, they would just linger at a few hundred meters from it, dropping off people who would then swim over, despite not having a ticket or a booking. That meant loud music from the boats, and gasoline in the water, spoiling the beauty of the place. I always wonder what people in boats think when they crowd a place which can be reached on foot, when they could just easily go further along the coast and have the whole area just to themselves. I mean, that's the whole point of having a boat, to get to inaccessible places without people around. We then decided it was time to leave, so we packed up and started following the trail back and up towards the car. The way up was harder and warmer now that it was the middle of the day. Once in the car, we then drove off and headed along a beautiful road set between the Supramonte mountain to the east, and the Gennargentu massif, Sardinia's tallest mountains, to the west. We passed by the popular Genna Silana pass, set at 1017m, and continuing on, reached some nice vantage points where we stopped to enjoy the view and take some pictures. From here we could clearly see the massif on the other side of the valley and among it the Gola Gorropu, one of Europe's deepest canyons. Our plan had been to go there in the afternoon; however, when asking for opening times, I was told that after 2pm would've been too late, as it still takes 1h to reach it on foot from the Genna Silana pass and then 1h 30 back up, plus visiting the canyon itself. I later discovered, talking to the owner of the accommodation we would spend the night at, that it wasn't the case, as we could've just gone there and entered even after the place closed, just not to stay there the night, as it gets really cold. Anyways, we continued on our drive and then reached the plains once again, where we stopped at a town called Orosei, right by the coast, which also gives its name to the gulf in that area. After parking the car, we explored the town on foot. We started out by reaching the church of the Anime, built in the 18th century, but which was closed. Down a set of stairs, we then reached the central Piazza del Popolo, with another church, the chiesa del Rosario, dating to the 17th century and also closed. Here we decided to sit at one of the bars on the square and enjoy a cold, refreshing drink. The,n continuing on a set of stairs brought us up to the church of San Giacomo Maggiore, the main one in town, which was open. We visited its simple baroque interior and then continued walking uphill until we reached the northeastern end of town. Here was the church of San Gavino, simple in style but built in dark basalt stones and dating to the 13th century. Next to it was a nice, large terraced area from where we had a great view of the Cedrino river and its bridge, and the sea in the distance. We then turned around and continued walking through the old town, passing by nice buildings featuring the occasional blooming bougainvillea and bright green and huge cactuses. At the southern end of town, we then reached the church of Sant'Antonio Abate, built in dark volcanic rock, featuring frescoes from the 15th century, which we could only briefly enjoy as there was a mass starting. The church was set in a typical area surrounded by cumbesssias, small lodgings for pilgrims and those praying for nine consecutive days, as is found in other churches, usually in rural areas on the island. Next to it was also a 20m high tower dedicated to Sant'Antonio Abate, and dating back to medieval times. Once we had completed the round of the town, we got back in the car and drove to Galtellì, where we would spend the night. We checked into our accommodation, the Albergo Antico Borgo, and then walked through town to reach the restaurant, Il Ritrovo, where I ate a tasty grilled fish dish with tuna, seabream, and shrimp.
The next day, we woke up early again and left for the coast, driving to the town of Cala Gonone, and then reaching the end of a road to the south, right along the coast, where we parked the car. There were already quite a few cars parked, despite the early hour. From here, we started the hike that would take us south along the coast, but sheltered among the nice Mediterranean shrubs and forest. We first admired the view looking south, where we could clearly see the whole coast and where we had been the day before, with the Supramonte cliffs towering above the sea. Below us was a picturesque beach, Cala Fuili, still empty due to the early hour. From there, we started following the trail, heading up through the forest and some rocky terrain. At one point, after a bit of climbing, the path straightened out and continued easily southwards. We had some nice spots along the way from which to admire the nice views along the coast. After a bit of hiking, we came to a point where we turned off the trail and, following a partly visible track, reached a tiny cove, Cala di Oddoana. The place to lay down our towels was tiny, but at least we were the only ones there and had the whole beach for ourselves. Instead of continuing on the hike, we decided to spend time there, relaxing and enjoying the beautiful place. I took several swims, as the water was clear, with the cliffs edging the water, and it really felt like paradise. We then relaxed, reading our books, and having lunch we had brought with us, and had the place for ourselves for several hours. At one point, though, an inflatable boat with a French family approached us and then landed on the tiny beach. They then set up on the rocks behind us and started talking very loudly, jumping in the water, and obviously bothering us, walking right by our towels, as there was barely any space. At one point, we decided it was time to go. We left the nice beach and got back on the trail, continuing the last couple of kilometers until we reached the large beach of Cala Luna. The beach is formed by a stream whose mouth enters the sea in that location. At that time of the year, the stream is barely running and forms a tiny lagoon behind the beach. Once we arrived, we found quite a few people, as large boats from both Cala Gonone, just to the north, and all the way south from Santa Maria Navarrese and Arbatax dropped off large numbers of people. Luckily, as it was already afternoon, no new boats with people were coming, but instead they were starting to take back many, slowly emptying out the beach, as for the majority, reaching it on foot is too long and hard. The place was really picturesque with the blue and green, crystal clear water, and the cliffs on both sides of the beach reaching right into the water. On the northern side, now shaded by the tall cliffs, we then explored some popular caves, caused by the erosion of the limestone rock by the sea, and which provided shelter and a cool photo opportunity. We then returned to the central part of the beach, which was still in the sun, relaxed a little, and had a swim. Then, as it was getting late in the afternoon, we decided to leave, with not many people still around, as we still had to hike back all the way. We followed the trail and, after just over an hour, reached the car. On the way, we then decided to stop for dinner, choosing a restaurant called La Poltrona, where we had a tasty before before eventually driving back to our accommodation.
The next day, we left at a more decent hour and decided to stop along the way to see an archaeological site, the Tomba dei Giganti S'Ena e Thomes, and freely accessible. This was the first so-called Giants' grave, but one of a few to come, funerary monuments in use since the mid Bronze Age, 18th to 16th centuries B.C., generally featuring a long body functioning as a funerary hallway and at its center an exedra, that is, a semicircle of stone slabs. This one is one of the most important on the island, with a granite slab stele standing in the center of an exedra, a semicircle of stone slabs fixed into the ground in a knife-like shape, resembling bull's horns, with dimensions decreasing from the center towards the ends. The exedra delimits the sacred area where ancestral funeral rites were performed. A symbolic door, the entrance to the Underworld, is carved into the stele, so small that it is inaccessible to the living. Behind it, almost intact, is the 11-meter-long dolmen burial corridor with a flat roof: the stone slabs are arranged horizontally along the walls. Again, this felt like a magical and mysterious place, and it was nice to visit it just the two of us. After the visit, we continued our drive north and reached the town of Posada, located in a fertile plain close to the sea. This town, which is part of the club of the most beautiful villages in Italy, is perched on a solitary limestone hill, topped by a castle dominating the valley and landscape, and with the river Posada flowing nearby. It has a long history, probably dating already to the Italic-Etruscan period, between the 5th and 4th century B.C. After parking the car, we started exploring the old town, heading up to reach the main monument, the castle. We paid the entrance ticket and then reached the top, where the tower and the surrounding walls are what remains of the castle. Dating to the 13th century, it served as the residence of the Judicate of Gallura, one of four Sardinian judicates that were independent states whose rulers bore the title iudex, meaning judge.
It also served as the residence of Eleonora d'Arborea, one of the last judges of the Judicate of Arborea, before then passing on to the Republic of Pisa, and then under the Aragonese during the conquest of Sardinia. We also climbed to the top of the tower from where we had a beautiful view of the surroundings, the town below, the mountains and hills to the west, north, and south, and the sea to the east. After the visit, we headed back down through town, passing by the main church, Sant'Antonio Abate, which was closed. On the way out of town, we then drove by some fields out in the countryside to take some pictures of the perched old town from afar. From there we then continued driving north, taking the superway and reaching the seaside town of San Teodoro. Here we stopped to visit the popular beach, La Cinta, a 5km long stretch of white sand arching northwards and creating a beautiful setting. We parked the car at the main parking lot right by the beach, which cost 1.5 euros per hour, and then headed to the seafront. We found a nice spot by the water, and despite there being already quite a few people due to its size, it did not feel too crowded, and this was even close to the parking. Further north, the beach looked completely empty. I had a swim, and the place was really incredible, with the shallow water for many meters out, a wonderful blue and green hue, and in the distance the incredible sight of Tavolara, the mountainous island jutting out from the sea. We didn't stay there too long, as we planned to head to a less crowded beach further north. We drove for a little bit and then reached the town of Porto Istana. Here, we parked in a secluded area and then walked a short distance to reach the beachfront. We had arrived at probably one of the most beautiful beaches ever, and the great thing was that it was basically empty with just a few people nearby, and this was in the middle of the day. We set our towels down and enjoyed the incredible view of the bay with its blue and green hues and the form of Tavolara mountain right in front of us. Along the beach, among the fine white sand, were also some red rocks, giving the area an even more picturesque view. It felt like paradise on earth, and we spent a big chunk of the afternoon there. At one point, a couple of Germans arrived and set up their umbrella not far from us, I saw, and unfortunately smelled that they were smoking. After two cigarettes, they then got up and headed to the bar shack at the end of the beach. I saw with the corner of my eye that they had simply thrown their cigarettes in the sand and covered them. I got up, picked up the cigarettes up and then walked all the way to the bar, yelling at them in front of everyone for throwing the cigarettes. They tried excusing themselves, and I told them it was just cause they got caught, and if I ever saw them again, I would tell the authorities, as it's illegal and extremely terrible to be doing so with rightly high fines for that. After that, we decided to leave, as either way we still had some road to cover. We drove further west and reached the area around the city of Olbia, deciding to stop to visit the castle of Pedres. Freely accessible, this castle sits on top of an isolated rocky outcrop and dates to the 13th century. Originally, the castle had four towers and two courtyards, one upper and one lower, surrounded by polygonal walls and accessible via staircases built with large granite blocks. Nowadays, only the main tower and part of the walls remain, and from the top, the view was really nice, especially due to the interesting smooth boulders dotting the landscape and also around the castle itself. Right by the castle, we then also visited another giant's grave, the Tomba dei Giganti Su Monte 'e S'Abe. It was built in two phases, the first dating from the 18th to 16th centuries as an allée couverte tomb, a sort of elongated dolmen. Then it was transformed into a Giants' tomb with an exedra and steles, some traces of which can still be admired today, but without the typical large and tall central stele like the one we had seen in the morning, as it was probably taken or lost. At that point, we drove to nearby Olbia and decided to explore a bit of the city before looking for a place for dinner. Once in Olbia, we first decided to visit the Basilica of San Simplicio, the largest Romanesque church of the island, dating between the 11th and 12th centuries. The basilica has three naves, and both the interior and exterior walls feature characteristic bas-reliefs. We had a look inside but soon had to leave as the mass was starting. We then headed towards the city center, which, despite being a large city for Sardinian standards, is not considered one of the nicest. We nonetheless enjoyed walking a few nice streets, and reached the church of San Paolo, dating to the 15th century but redone in the baroque style in the 18th century and heavily refurbished during the 20th century. At that point, we reached the main street and, walking along it, arrived at the port, probably the largest of Sardinia, it's the closest to mainland Italy. After a walk around the area, we finally decided to find a place to have dinner and ended up choosing Anticas Licanzias Bistrò, where we had a local specialty, pane fratau, with a base of carasau bread topped by tomato sauce, pecorino cheese, and two poached eggs. After dinner, we headed back to the car and drove the last few kilometers north to reach our accommodation, the Green Park Hotel in Capriccioli.
In the morning, we had breakfast at the hotel and decided to head to the beach. We had chosen this hotel as it's located right on the coast, on a popular part of the coast called the Emerald Coast, with beautiful beaches and the Mediterranean scrubland all around. We reached the nearest beach, La Celvia, after a short walk, and once there, found it basically empty. The water was extremely calm and flat and really amazing with the typical turquoise hues. We found a spot in the sand below some shrubs that gave us some shade and then relaxed for a bit. At one point, as is typical with me, I decided to explore a little of the surroundings. I walked to the end of the beach and then started climbing on the smooth rocks to try to see what was further. I was walking right on the edge of some huge villas right on the seaside, one of which had its own private boat launch and even a private access to a tiny beach where two workers were just sitting under an umbrella on the sand. I said hello and continued on reaching another tiny sandy beach where I was alone. It was really amazing, the water was clear, and the smooth rocks gave it a tropical feel. I swam a bit there, enjoying the refreshing water and observing yachts starting to leave or to arrive, some of which were incredibly large and expensive. After a bit of exploring the area, I decided to head back to the beach to rejoin Ania. We stayed there for a bit, and then at one point, with the beach still rather empty, a couple of old Swiss just decided to set themselves right next to us, with basically their towels and stuff touching ours; so rude! We stayed a little longer, I had another nice swim, and then we decided to head back to our hotel to grab lunch, which we had put in the fridge. After lunch, we headed back to the beach but this time chose another one, not far from the previous one. We reached the Cala Capriccioli, the southern one, as there are also a west and east part of the little peninsula in that area. There were only four other people there, and then two also left soon after. Here, I decided to also explore a bit of the surroundings, walking through the bushes and the rocky coast to reach a tiny, isolated beach. Then I headed back and lay with Ania, reading our books and then also taking a dip in the water a few times more. Before sunset, when the whole area was basically deserted, we decided to leave and head to a place to have dinner near the hotel, the Baretto Cala di Volpe. I had a pasta with seafood while Ania had a pizza. For the area, which is very popular and pricy, the food and prices were decent.
The next day, we left the coast and decided to visit a few archaeological sites in the interior. The first one was the Li Muri Necropolis, which we visited thanks to a combined ticket with the next three sites. Dating to the 4th millennium BC, it comprises four burial circles, surrounded by stone slabs arranged in concentric circles to form artificial mounds, with each circle often containing one or two individual tombs. These circles show similarities with other necropolises in Western Europe, such as those in Corsica and Catalonia, suggesting a broader cultural link. After the visit to the site, where there were just the two of us, a short drive led us to the second site, the Giants' grave of Li Lolghi; also, here we were alone. Measuring a total of 27 meters, it is one of the largest on the island. The structure features a central stele approximately 4 meters high, surrounded by a large exedra formed by 14 granite slabs, and with two burial chambers, one older and one more recent, with materials dating back to the Early and Middle Bronze Age. Another short drive took us to yet another Giant's grave, that of Coddu Vecchiu, in this case with a few people around, as a bus had arrived with some visitors. This tomb was built in two phases: initially as a gallery tomb between the 21st and 19th centuries BC, and then transformed into a Giants' Tomb between the 18th and 17th centuries BC with the addition of an exedra and a 4.04-meter-high, decorated central stele. Right nearby, we then visited the Nuraghe La Prisgionia, not as grand or scenic as others, but one of the most important in the Gallura area. It features a central nuraghe, with three towers within a triangular bastion and an internal tholos structure with niches, used for daily activities and rituals, and around it a large village of huts. The village covers about five hectares and shows evidence of productive activities, including pottery and bread making, as well as a well that provided water. La Prisgiona was a vital center, probably for the surrounding settlements, and its history spans a wide time frame, from the 14th to the 8th century BC, with subsequent occupation in Roman times. After the visit, it was time to leave the area and head west, driving for quite a bit through a nice, peaceful mountainous countryside landscape. We eventually reached the small town of Luras, and around it decided to visit two important dolmens. We started with the Dolmen Ladas, dating to 3200 BC, which is more like an allée couverte than a dolmen, as it features several vertical stones, and is covered by several slabs rather than just one single one. We admired it and its surrounding setting, with several rocks and slabs scattered around and a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains and forests. A short walk led us then to the Ciuledda dolmen, this time an actual dolmen, with a single slab on the top and smaller in size. This too had a special energy to it, giving the area a magical feeling. After the visit to the two monuments, we then drove on and reached the town of Tempio Pausania. After parking the car, we continued on foot exploring its old town, part of the club of the most beautiful villages in Italy. As we walked, we passed through the central square, Piazza Gallura, with the imposing town hall, and then nearby visited the Cathedral, dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries but rebuilt in 1519 and significantly enlarged between 1790 and 1833 with a current neoclassical interior. In front of the cathedral was also a nice oratory, the Oratorio del Rosario, also of medieval origin but rebuilt in the last quarter of the 16th century with an interesting Gothic-Aragonese granite façade. From there, we walked along the main street, lined by some nice buildings, and then also through some minor streets. Once back at the car, we continued driving and reached a small town called Perfugas, where we visited the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli. a nice building from the 16th and 17th centuries. Inside, we tried visiting the Retablo di San Giorgio, a beautiful 16th-century wooden altarpiece with fourteen panels and the largest in Sardinia, coming from the nearby church of San Giorgio but now hosted inside this church. Unfortunately, it was lunchtime and the small museum would only open quite a bit later so we decided to skip it. In front of the church, we then admired the Pozzo Sacro di Predio Canopoli, a well temple from the 13th century B.C. with the typical layout consisting of a vestibule leading to a staircase connecting to the well chamber. At that point, we got back in the car and continued north to reach the Cateldoria Castle, an isolated tower set on top of a granite hill overlooking a canyon formed by the Coghinas river at a close distance to the sea. This ancient fortress was built in the 12th century by the Genoese Doria family, while today only the main 20m tower, part of the walls, a chapel, and a cistern remain. The views from there were really amazing, and we decided to spend some time in the shade of the tower with a nice breeze blowing while enjoying the lunch we had brought with us up there. We were all alone with no one in sight, and after the nice break, we decided it was time to move on. A short drive led us to the coast and to the town of Castelsardo, part of the club of the most beautiful villages in Italy. This was a true gem, built on a promontory right on the sea, and it has a long history dating back to medieval times. The historic town was built around the Doria castle, dating back to the 12th century, and later became a fortified fortress town. As we reached the top of the promontory, where the fortified town is set, we then decided to visit the castle. The castle, dating to the 12th or 13th century, is surrounded by a ring of walls that are still intact, mainly visible to the south, where they meet the rock face of the mountain. The entire complex extends from east to west, with a width of approximately 100 meters. After belonging to the Genoese, it then came under the hand of the Aragonese, with the rest of the town. Nowadays, its interior is home to the Museum of Mediterranean Weaving. We visited the nice exhibitions on different weaving styles in the rooms of the castle and then enjoyed the view from the upper ramparts. We had an incredible panorama, below the old town and all around the sea, and in the distance we could even make out Corsica. After the visit, we then started walking through the old town and immediately felt like being in a coastal Ligurian town. Shortly after we reached and visited the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, originally dating to the 14th century, and with an unassuming exterior. Once inside, there were beautiful baroque and neoclassical wooden altars as well as the so-called Black Christ, dating back to 1300, and one of the oldest in Sardinia. It is called so because of the juniper wood that has blackened over time and was considered miraculous and carried in procession whenever natural disasters struck the town. Right next door, we visited a small museum, part of the castle's ticket on the town's Genoese origins. A small terrace also granted a beautiful view of part of the town and the sea below. Continuing on, we started heading slightly down until we reached the Cathedral. It was built in the 16th century in an overlap between Catalan Gothic and classical Renaissance styles. Its bell tower was made by refurbishing a tower in the ancient walls and covering it with a small dome, finely decorated with polychrome majolica tiles. Its interior features nice baroque wooden altars, and one of the chapels, that of the Virgin Mary, is covered in nice majolica tiles. In addition, the main altar has a painting of the Madonna and Child seated on a throne, painted in the 15th century by the artist known as the Master of Castelsardo. Once back outside, we continued our walk through town and admired the nice narrow alleys, and then decided to head out of the old town and reach the town beach. The beach had quite a few people, but from this point, we had a nice view of the old town towering on its rocky outcrop. At that point, we had visited the whole place, and it was time to move on. A drive south, on the interior, led us then to the Basilica of the Nostra Signora di Tergu. Built between 1065 and 1082, it is one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Sardinia, and is a structure made of red-purple trachyte stone blocks and white limestone decorations that stands out in contrast with the surrounding landscape. Its facade, which was once higher, is particularly noteworthy, with a nice contrast of light limestone decorations and the red trachyte stones. The lower level is set on three large blind arches resting on corner pillars and columns surmounted by elegant Corinthian capitals, while the upper one features five false arches, the two outermost of which are zigzag-shaped and frame nine panels inlaid with geometric motifs and a central rose window with richly ornamented molding framed by four columns. The interior, simple in style, was heavily refurbished in the 17th century. Around it and in front of the church are the remains of the monastery, which was built after it was turned into an abbey. It was then time to go. We got back in the car and drove the remaining distance to Sassari, where we then checked into a nice accommodation just outside the city center. After that, we decided to look for a place to have dinner and opted for a nice modern restaurant called Ginko. We had a nice meal and then decided to walk a bit through the city center and see it at night. We first reached the large Piazza d'Italia, originally laid out in the early 19th century, together with a plan for a larger expansion of the town in the area, which then took its current form in 1872. At its center stands the monument to King Vittorio Emanuele II, dating to 1899, while around the square is the impressive neoclassical Palazzo della Provincia, seat of the province and prefecture, as well as the neo-Gothic Giordano Building. What was surprising was how lively the square was, despite its size, filled with kids, families, and many young people. Also, it looked very nice and well-kept, a bit of a contrast to the old town, which we then walked through, dark, quite empty, and which gave us a bit of an unsafe and umkpempt feeling.
The next morning, we woke up and after breakfast in our accommodation, decided to visit the National Museum Giovanni Antonio Sanna, which was free that day. This archaeological museum features a small but lovely exhibition that spans from prehistory, including artifacts from Monte d'Accodi, to the Nuragic civilization and Domus de Janas. It also showcases later Phoenician-Punic artifacts, along with Etruscan and Greek pieces, and on Roman history with a focus on Turris Lybissonis (now Porto Torres). Additionally, there are some medieval items and a small ethnographic section on items and furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries collected by the first donor, Giovanni Antonio Sanna. After the visit to the museum, we then decided to continue and visit the rest of the town. We passed once again through the large Piazza d'Italia, now deserted at that time of day, and started to enter the old town proper. We passed by the church of the Madonna del Rosario, which was unfortunately closed, and then continued on through some minor alleys until we reached the Cathedral. Originally dating to the 12th century, it was probably built over a previous early Christian church. Throughout its history, it has undergone several renovations, the first of which was in Romanesque style in the 13th century, of which the bell tower remains. Elevated to cathedral status in the second half of the 15th century, it took on a Gothic-Catalan appearance, followed by further work that gave it a richly decorated Baroque façade. The interior features a wide nave with eight chapels and a classical-style marble high altar from the 17th century. Above the main altar is the Madonna del Bosco from the 14th century, while in the left transept is the neoclassical mausoleum from 1807 of Placido Placido Benedetto di Savoia, Count of Moriana, looking a lot like those designed by Canova. Next up, a short walk led us to the church of Santa Caterina, built by the Jesuits between the 16th and 17th centuries. The interior, though mostly empty, was airy, full of light, and quite impressive in its form. Once outside, we walked past the Palazzo Ducale, built at the end of the 18th century for Don Antonio Manca, Marquis of Mores and Lord of Usini, after his investiture as Duke of Asinara. Today, it hosts the town hall. From there, we walked on and tried visiting the church of Santa Maria di Betlem with a Romanesque facade and a neoclassical interior and cupola, but found it closed. We continued on reaching the northwestern part of the old town, where the train station is located. Here we passed by the church of Sant'Antonio Abate, dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, which was closed, and then walked along the short section of surviving medieval city walls that run along the northern side of the old town. As we continued, we passed in front of the church of the Santissima Trinità, built in the 18th century, and then down a ramp, reached one of the main monuments in town, the Rossello Fountain. This magnificent fountain, one of the nicest in Italy, was built in the early 17th century in the late Renaissance style. It consists of two rectangular blocks, one on top of the other, in white with dark gray stripes, below which are lion heads from which water flows. The statues representing the seasons rest on dolphin mouths: a girl with a garland of flowers (spring), Hercules with a crown of grapes and a bearskin (autumn), an elderly man resting (winter), and a woman with ears of wheat (summer). On top of the first block, at the four corners, are crenellated towers symbolizing the city and others with the coats of arms of the Crown of Aragon. At the top, two crossed arches support the equestrian statue of Saint Gavino, while below is a reclining river god. The interesting thing about the fountain is that it was set away from any building and outside the city walls, meaning people had to carry buckets of water for a long distance, and strange that such an out-of-the-way fountain was so nicely decorated. From there, we headed back into the old town and reached the National Art Gallery, hosted inside the former Jesuit college. Here we saw a really nice collection, starting from triptychs from the Middle Ages and Renaissance paintings to 17th and 18th-century landscape and portraits. Also noteworthy was the collection of Sardinian folklore paintings from the 19th and early 20th centuries. At that point, we were done visiting the city and decided to head to pick up the car and leave town to visit a few sites. Our first stop was the Basilica of the Santissima Trinità of Saccargia, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture in Sardinia. Entrance required a ticket, but it was really worth it. It was built on a pre-existing sanctuary, and was then commissioned by Constantine I of Torres and his wife after a sacred apparition, being completed in 1116. Subsequently, it was further refurbished and expanded between 1118 and 1120 by Pisan architects and craftsmen from Pisa, in the so-called Pisan Romanesque style with typical black and white stripes. The nave was lengthened to 30m, the walls were raised, a new façade was added, and the towering bell tower was built. The portico on the facade is attributed to craftsmen from Lucca and was added later, and has decorations of mythological figures and symbolic elements linked to local tradition, such as the reference to the spotted cow, s'acca argia, which legend holds to be the reason for the church's name. The interior has a cruciform plan, with Romanesque frescoes in the central apse, the only surviving example in Sardinia of Romanesque mural painting in excellent condition. The cycle of frescoes depicts scenes from the life of Christ and is really nice to see, and next to it was also nice to see the Retablo Maggiore, an altarpiece from 1496 with scenes such as the Annunciation and other saints. After visiting, a short drive brought us to another Romanesque church, that of San Michele di Salvenero, solitary and only open rarely. Originally built in the 11th century and similar in style and form to Saccargia, with black and white stones, but less decorated and lavish. At that point, we continued on our drive and reached the town of Ardara to visit yet another church, the Basilica di Nostra Signora del Regno. Completed in 1107 in iron-rich dark trachyte by craftsmen from Pisa, and looks simpler than the previous two churches. However, its form and style were still impressive and imposing, and its interior was even more impressive. Its three naves are marked by pillars with 17th-century frescoes depicting twelve apostles and the four fathers of the Church, while above is the ceiling with wooden trusses. In the apse of the main altarpiece, a stunning altarpiece, measuring ten meters high and six meters wide, dating to 1515, and the largest 16th-century polyptych in Sardinia. It depicts the history of Salvation, told through images of prophets, patriarchs, saints, and the Blessed Virgin, and was a marvel to look at. On the side nave is the minor altarpiece, also from the same period, and a nice carved wooden pulpit. After visiting this church, we continued and visited another one, this one requiring a ticket, the Basilica di Sant’Antioco di Bisarcio. The Basilica, another masterpiece of medieval sacred architecture, stands isolated on a small volcanic hill and was built in dark trachyte starting in the mid-11th century. This first building was partially destroyed by fire around 1090 and was then rebuilt in 1153.
The eastern sides, which escaped the fire, date back to the first phase and are emblematic of the essentiality of archaic Romanesque architecture, composed of rows of roughly hewn blocks, while the rest, from the later phase, is characterized by well-shaped blocks. A decorated portico, unique in Sardinian Romanesque architecture, was added in the 13th century. The interior features a three-nave form with decorated column capitals and, on the sides, narrow single-lancet windows. Above the portico are three rooms, accessible via a staircase from outside the church. The first room features a unique fireplace in the shape of a bishop's mitre, while the central room used to be the bishop's private chapel and has a mullioned window that opens onto the interior of the church. That was once part of the original façade, which was then covered by the portico, and above the three rooms. In various parts of the walls, there are traces of graffiti, such as sandal-shaped footprints that pilgrims carved as evidence of their passage. After the visit, we got back in the car and headed further east, stopping at another Romanesque church, Nostra Signora di Castro. Here we met an association, the Monumenti Aperti, which had some kids presenting and guiding us around the monument, supervised by an adult. The church is a pilgrimage destination, testimony of this is the buildings all around it enclosing it, called cumbessias that functioned and still function to this day on the Sunday after Easter as the pilgrims' lodgings. The small church built in a Romanesque style in the 12th century is much smaller and not as grandiose as the previous ones we saw, but it still has its charm. Featuring trachyte blocks, it has a tall facade with a bell-gable, and on the side, a large portico added later. After the visit, we thanked the two kids and the adult, who then suggested we visit another site nearby, also open that day by this association. We then drove there and reached the Altare rupestre di Santo Stefano. Again, here we were met by more kids and a few more adults enjoying their day while supervising them. The first showed us to the church of Santo Stefano, located in this remote area surrounded by Mediterranean shrub. Around the area, we then walked and visited a few domus de janas, used as necropolises in prehistoric times and later used till the Middle Ages for different purposes. We then reached the highlight of the site, a peculiar granite rock face in which geometric niches, mostly triangular and quadrangular but some also circular, have been carved and distributed in sequence. Nearby, four other engraved rocks display distinct sacred characteristics: one with quadrangular niches and cup marks, another with triangular recesses, a rectangular niche resembling a tafone tomb, and a circular hollow serving as what could've been a sundial. Many engravings appear to have been 'Christianized' by the addition of crosses to neutralize the presence of pagan symbols. Dating is uncertain, with suggestions ranging from the late Neolithic to the Copper Age (4th-3rd millennium BC) or even early-Christian and Byzantine periods. The symbols in the area of Santo Stefano are largely unexplained, thought to be connected to ancient rituals and possibly astronomical elements. This site is believed to have hosted shamanic practices related to the transition from life to death. The geometric figures and cup marks serve as contact points between the living and the dead, with squares representing 'false doors' of tombs, circles symbolizing continuity and solar deities, and triangles linked to stepped temples. After thanking the kids for the tour, we then got back in the car and drove on to visit the last place for the day, the town of Ozieri. Once there, we toured its small, nice city center, first reaching the church of Santa Lucia, neoclassical in style and dating to the 19th century, but it was closed. We continued on and arrived at the Fontana Grixoni, a monumental fountain from 1882. We then walked uphill through some narrow, nice alleys and reached the Cathedral, probably dating from the 13th century but rebuilt in its current neoclassical style at the end of the 19th century. We visited its exuberant interior and then headed out to explore the rest of the town. After a bit of walking up and down, we eventually got back to the car and drove all the way to Sassari, where we again had dinner at the Ginko restaurant.
The next morning, we didn't wake up too early and then started the day by driving south from Sassari and reaching the Necropolis of Sant'Andrea Priu. We first had to buy a ticket from a building about a kilometer away, and then we would have to wait for the guide to come and show us the main tomb. In the meantime, we visited the rest of the site, which consists of twenty domus de janas dating back to the 4th and 3rd millennium B.C., carved into the wall and in the plateau of a trachyte outcrop 10 meters high and 180 meters long. Inside, architectural details have been reproduced to recreate environments similar to the homes of the deceased. It is one of seventeen pre-Nuragic Sardinian necropolises declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Three of the tombs stood out due to their size and state of preservation, one of which, the hut tomb, features votive cups on the floor and has a ceiling decorated with a sunburst pattern of grooves carved into the rock, alluding to the roof beams of Eneolithic huts. The other tomb, the chamber tomb, reproduces the architecture of a dwelling: an entrance pavilion leads into the larger, rectangular room with two pillars and a ceiling that reproduces a gabled roof. The third tomb, the tomb of the chief, we then had to wait for the guide to visit. However, as we were waiting with some other visitors, mostly Italians from Verona, but also some foreigners, a large bus full of old French people arrived and just made them visit the tomb before us. That was really annoying and not fair, and we loudly complained. Anyway, after they were gone, it was finally our turn, and we marveled at the beautiful interior. This tomb covers an area of 250 square meters and comprises 18 rooms arranged in a labyrinth around two main rooms. An atrium leads into the semicircular antechamber, while the two rectangular rooms behind are arranged in a longitudinal succession. Their walls feature doors leading to numerous secondary rooms with niches and counters. In Roman and then Byzantine times, the tomb was transformed into a rock church, one of the first during the period of persecution. Plastered and frescoed several times with scenes from the New Testament, whose traces can still be seen and were restored as we were visiting, so only visible from a distance. After visiting the site, we took the car and drove over a beautiful forested mountain area until we came across the town of Burgos with its hilltop castle from afar. We stopped to admire the view, with the nice castle towering over the old town and around it, and below a vast plain. We reached the town and proceeded to visit on foot. We walked through the streets and then approached the castle. It seemed to be closed, but I found a small path on the hillside which allowed me to reach the top. The castle was built in 1134 on an isolated granite rock at 650m above sea level, inaccessible to the north and east and difficult to access from other sides. Here were the remains of the triple wall that surrounded it, and at the center of the courtyard is the 15-meter-high square tower. Later, at the end of the 13th century, the castle passed first to Genoa, then to the Doria family. In the mid-14th century, it was acquired by the judges of Arborea. Finally, it passed to the Aragonese, who left the fortress at the mercy of events. In 1516, the castle was still described as being in good condition, but then it fell into decline. A legend tells that the ghost of Adelasia, sister of Barisone III of Torres, who died here in 1259 after a long voluntary imprisonment following the capture of her husband, Enzo of Hohenstaufen, son of Emperor Frederick II and King of Sardinia, still haunts the castle. Once back down into town, we got back in the car and drove the same way we came, and then further north until we reached the next monument, the Nuraghe Santu Antine. It is one of the tallest buildings of pre-classical antiquity, with the central tower now 17.5 meters high, which once probably reached 24 meters. The fortress-castle was the stronghold of Cabu Abbas, better known as the valley of the nuraghi due to the density of sites, with thirty towers and ten giants' tombs in 37 square kilometers. Its layout is that of an equilateral triangle with three towers connected by imposing walls, with at its center the keep, all built with dry basalt blocks. The complex dates from the Middle Bronze Age to the Iron Age (16th-9th centuries BC), beginning with the construction of the central tower. The main entrance leads to a 100-square-meter courtyard, the largest known in the area. Inside the courtyard are seven symmetrical entrances leading to different sections, including the keep. The keep originally had three floors and still has some rooms, including one with niches and an intact tholos. The bastion includes two front towers and a third at the rear, all connected by passageways and galleries, and a staircase leads to the top of the central tower, from where we had a nice view. Outside the complex are the ruins of a village with 14 circular huts and rectangular structures, used in Roman times. There was a floral show at the nuraghe, and it was really nice to see it decorated with plants and different flowers both inside and outside the complex. Here we met the group of Veronese again and also saw them later at the next site, the church of San Pietro di Sorres. The church was constructed in several stages, starting in 1171, and was completed in the mid-13th century. It is a beautiful example of Romanesque Pisan architecture with the typical white and black stripes of light sandstone and dark basalt, and it sits on a hill dominating the landscape. The splendid facade features arches and false loggias, while the interior houses a 15th-century Madonna and Child, and a Gothic marble pulpit from the 14th century. A short drive led us then to the nearby town of Thiesi, where we parked the car and continued on foot. Along the way, we noticed a lady sitting on a doorstep who didn't look well. We asked her if she needed help, and she told us she felt dizzy and thirsty. I ran back to the car and grabbed the water bottle, and gave it to her. We made her stay seated for a while and tried waving some air in her direction. She eventually felt better, thanked, and walked over to her house, which she told us was just down the street. At that point, we continued our walk and reached the central square, where we then visited the church of Santa Vittoria. Built in a mix of Gothic and Renaissance style between 1400 and 1590, it features a Gothic Aragonese main portal and an octagonal bell tower. Inside are ribbed vaults, a transition between Gothic and Renaissance, and some nice side chapels. At that point, we drove towards the Nuraghe Santu Antine and stopped in the town of Torralba, where we then visited the small museum of the Valle dei Nuraghi del Logudoro-Meilogu, which was included in the ticket we had bought for the nuraghe. Here was an exhibition on the history of the nuraghi of the area and objects found from the sites all around. After the visit, we still had time to visit one more town and headed north to reach the hilltop town of Osilo. This town is built around a hilltop, with a castle at its highest point, and it dominates the surrounding landscape. Once there, we walked around the small but nice city center, first passing by one of the main churches, the Chiesa del Rosario, dating to the 17th century, but which was closed. Moving on, we passed the main church, Immacolata Concezione, also dating to the 17th century, and also closed. We then tried reaching the castle on the highest point in town, but found that access was only on weekends at specific hours; we could only see its main tower from afar. We decided to enjoy the view from the upper part of town with all the hilly landscape around the town. Then once we were back in the car, we decided to drive towards the coast and stopped at the Ampurias to have a little swim and enjoy the sunset. The beach was quite full of people, especially young ones, and the beach bar had loud music playing. After staying there a while, we then decided to have dinner nearby and opted for a place called Excalibur, where Ania had pizza while I had grilled fish and seafood. After dinner, it was time to head back to our accommodation in Sassari.
The next day, we woke up early, left Sassari, and drove for a bit heading north to reach the northwestern tip of Sardinia, where the world-famous La Pelosa beach is located. I had decided to come here early and during the week, as the place is popular that recently it now requires booking and payment to access. Once there, though, we found parking quite easily and put some coins to park for one hour. Then we walked to the beach, but nobody checked us, probably because it was still rather early. There were already a few people there, but not crowded yet. La Pelosa is one of Sardinia's most iconic beaches, famous for its fine white sand and crystal clear waters that fade into Caribbean shades. Located in the northern tip of the Stintino Peninsula, the beach is protected to the north by a small island known as Isola Piana, and next to it, a smaller one on top of which stands a tower, built in 1578 to control traffic towards the gulf, and now a distinctive feature of the landscape. Not far off and in the background is the barren and rocky hilly island of Asinara, once inhabited only by shepherds and fishermen, then turned into a penal colony, and later turned into a national park, now uninhabited apart from some peculiar albino donkeys. We walked along the Pelosa beach and admired the beautiful, crystal clear water, at that time a bit crisped up by the strong wind channeling through the strait. There was barely anyone in the water as it was still quite early, and the water was still slightly chilly. We walked to the northern end and reached the smaller nearby Pelosetta beach. After hanging out a bit there, it was time to head back to the car. We then drove south and reached the city of Porto Torres. Once there, the first thing we visited was the Basilica of San Gavino, the largest Romanesque church in Sardinia, measuring 58m in length. The church was built in early Romanesque style during the 11th century over what was probably an early Christian necropolis and two ancient basilicas dating back to the 5th-7th centuries. The exterior of the church features a Romanesque portal with representations of Adam and Eve to the north, and a Catalan Gothic 15th-century twin portal to the south. The interior, simpler in form and decoration, features three naves divided by arches supported by 22 columns in pink granite and gray marble, taken from earlier Roman and Byzantine buildings with beautifully decorated capitals. Below is the crypt where some Roman sarcophagi are kept, some of which contain the relics of the local martyrs Gavino, Proto, and Gianuario, and around them some 18th-century statues. After visiting the church, we then decided to visit the archaeological site of Turris Libisonis, right on the coast. We first started by visiting the Antiquarium Turritano, the museum annexed to the archaeological site. Here were the objects, statues, and mosaics found during the excavations of Colonia Iulia Turris Libisonis, the ancient Roman town predating Porto Torres, which was the first fully Roman colony in Sardinia. From the museum, we then followed a guide who brought us over to the archaeological site right next to it. Here we first visited the ancient thermal baths, with the high structures of the rooms still partly standing and traces of mosaics as well. Then we walked through a covered area known as the Domus di Orfeo, an ancient Roman house with, among the many beautiful mosaics, that of Orpheus holding a lyre. In front of this mosaic is a beautiful three-lobed basin, decorated on the inside with a mosaic depicting 18 types of fish and shellfish, and most probably once serving as a fountain, probably located in an outdoor setting. Back outside we then walked along the remains of a paved road, once the cardus of the Roman city, with the tabernae along its perimeter, shops which in some cases also served as workshops, or also taverns. We completed the visit to the site with the last part, which was the cryptoporticus, probably serving as an area for those using the baths to walk, meet others, or exercise. After the visit, we left Porto Torres and drove just outside the city to visit the Su Crucifissu Mannu necropolis. Here we first stopped for a quick break under a tree to have lunch, which we had brought with us. Then we proceeded to visit the necropolis, consisting of a complex of 22 domus de janas, or tombs, built from the late Neolithic period. around the 3rd millennium BC, and used continuously until the early Bronze Age, around the 16th century BC. The complex is open and quite hidden, and barely any tourists visit it. The tombs have the typical structure consisting of an antechamber, a main chamber, and rooms opening off the walls of the main chamber. and are accessed via a vertical shaft or a descending corridor. I visited some of them by squeezing through the tight and narrow openings and saw that some had the crescent-shaped bull horns, false doors, and traces of columns supporting the vaults.After the visit to the necropolis, a short drive led us to the Pre-Nuragic sanctuary of Monte d'Accoddi, one of the most interesting and mysterious sites on the island. Once there, we bought the ticket and a super prepared and talkative guide gave a detailed history and briefing of the site before letting us then explore it on our own. The temple of Monte d'Accoddi, dating back to the 4th millennium BC, is considered unique not only in Europe but in the entire Mediterranean area. In the area, there were several villages of quadrangular huts centered around a ceremonial center, with a necropolis, spherical stone boulders, and a menhir, a huge slab with seven holes, perhaps used for tying victims. At the end of the Late Neolithic period, a pyramid-shaped platform with sides measuring 27 meters at the base was built and dedicated to a female deity. Around 2800 BC, the structure, which had been abandoned for about two centuries, was covered with a colossal filling of earth, stones, and calcareous marl, and then covered with large blocks of stone. A new large stepped pyramidal platform was built, with sides longer than the previous one and accessible by a ramp, forty meters long and thirteen to seven meters wide. The structure covers 1,600 square meters and is almost 6m high, probably once higher and reaching 8m. Due to its shape, it is mistakenly associated with the structures of multiple horizontal floors stacked on top of each other, called Ziggurats, found in Mesopotamia, but no evidence linking it to those structures thousands of kilometers east has been found, making it thus the only example in the whole Mediterranean area. The site retained its religious function for a millennium, with remains of propitiatory rituals found in the surrounding area, but was then abandoned in the Early Bronze Age, around 1800 BC, and occasionally reused for burials. We toured the site, walked to its top platform and and admired the whole complex. It was also nice to be the only ones there visiting it. After that nice visit, it was time for something a bit different. We took the car and drove west to reach the coast, and stopped at the Porto Ferro beach. There weren't many people here, and we found a nice spot to lie for a while. I took a swim and then walked a bit along the nice sandy shore, admiring the panorama with the cliffs to the north and, far in the distance, traces of medieval watchtowers, ever present on Sardinia. After a bit of relaxing there, we got back in the car and decided to drive south towards Alghero. Along the way, we stopped to visit yet another site, the Anghelu Ruju necropolis. One of the largest in Sardinia, it comprises 38 tombs, seven located on a flat area, while the other 31 are in a hilly area, and all date back between 3200 and 2800 BC. The domus de janas tombs have two types of access: pit tombs and dromos tombs, with open corridors. The tombs are decorated with symbolic reliefs, such as protomes and bull horns, which recall the cult of the dead. Some places show red ochre, a symbol of regeneration and sacrifice. The main funeral rite was burial, but cases of semi-cremation have also been found. It was hard to see many of the tombs as access was through the small and narrow openings with barely any space ahead of them. While Ania waited outside most of them, I tried accessing all of those I could, using the phone torchlight to shine inside the many tombs and find traces of decorations. After visiting the site, a short drive south eventually led us to Alghero, the nice coastal city which has preserved the use of Catalan, specifically the Alghero variant spoken still by nearly a quarter of its inhabitants. Once there, we checked into our accommodation and then headed to the old town to explore a little and have dinner. We approached the fortified old town, surrounded by thick walls once dating to the 13th century by the Genoese but refurnished during the 16th century by the Spanish. We walked through some alleyways until we decided to stop for dinner at a restaurant called Trattoria Cavour, with a nice outdoor seating right by the walls. Then, after eating, we had a stroll along the bastions facing the sea, with a nice sunset view. There were quite a lot of people eating at the many restaurants facing the sea, and others strolling around the city. As nightfall, we strolled around the rest of the town, checking out the shops along the main street.
The next morning, we woke up, got in the car, and drove west along the coast to reach Capo Caccia, a cape not far from Alghero. We parked the car along the road and then headed to the ticket office of Neptune's Cave, as we had pre-booked tickets for a visit. The sky was cloudy, for the first time since we had landed in Sardinia, but at least we were going into a cave, so that wasn't an issue. When our tour started were told to head down a steep staircase carved into the rocky sea cliff known as the Escala del Cabirol. Along the way, we had some beautiful views, and we eventually reached the cave, only accessible from the sea. The cave is among the largest sea caves in Italy and in the whole Mediterranean. It formed about two million years ago, and extends for four kilometers, though only one can be visited, and has several rooms with spectacular karst formations, and some underground lakes. As we entered the cave, we immediately came upon the Lamarmore Lake, one of the largest underground salt lakes in Europe, 9m deep, 25 meters wide, and 100m long. At its center stands a monumental stalagmite known as the Holy Water Font, two meters high, which houses at its summit some small basins where a small amount of rainwater collects, offering a precious source of water for the birds that nest in the Cape area. From the entrance, we descended some stairs to pass through the Hall of Ruins, and beyond it, the Hall of the Palace, which houses the most evocative view of the entire Grotto due to its imposing calcite colonnades measuring approximately 9m, and the highest one reaching 18m. Then, one last room was the Organ Room, named after a tall calcite column called the Great Organ, whose flows resemble organ pipes. The cave was quite nice, and the only sea cave we visited, but the visit was short, and it was rather crowded, so we much preferred other caves around the island. After the visit, we headed back up the long staircase and once back in the car, drove along the coast. We stopped briefly at a panoramic point where we could admire the nice jagged and wild coastline of Capo Caccia. Then, driving further, we stopped at the Roman villa of Sant'Imbenia, part of the ticket we had bought that includes many sites in and around Alghero. Located right on the sea in the calm and protected bay of Porto Conte, this Roman villa was built between the late 1st century BC and early 1st century AD. It sits in an area that has been used since ancient times, developing as a nuragic settlement that later became one of the major trading ports in the Mediterranean, where Phoenicians, Greeks, and Etruscans exchanged goods and materials with the local people. The Roman villa that was built there was mainly used as a place of rest and holiday and consisted of a residential area, with decorated rooms, a thermal bath complex, and a rural area, intended for agricultural production. Driving further east, we then stopped briefly to admire, near the village of Fertilia, an ancient Roman bridge that was rebuilt in medieval times and still partly survives. Once back in Alghero, we left the car at our accommodation and then proceeded to visit the town during the day. We started out by visiting the archaeological museum, also included in the aforementioned ticket. The exhibition inside presented the city's history and its surroundings, starting from objects found in the nuragic village and Roman villa of Sant'Imbenia. Then were rooms dedicated to three shipwrecks: that of a Roman ship dating back to the 1st century AD, that of a medieval one with goods from 13th-century Almohad Andalusia, and that of a carrack, better known as a caravel, used between the late 1400s and early 1600s. The rest of the rooms had objects and artifacts from other sites in the area, including the necropolis of Anghelu Ruju. From the museum, we then headed through town and visited the Cathedral next. It was built starting in the early 16th century and completed in the following century. The base is Gothic-Catalan, while subsequent additions followed a late Renaissance design, though a monumental neoclassical pronaos with a triangular pediment supported by Doric columns, dating back to 1820, was added as the main entrance. The interior was quite nice and featured a marble main altar and a pulpit, both dating to the 18th century, as well as other baroque side altars, and nice wooden choir stalls from the 17th century. From the cathedral, we continued our walk and went on the bastions facing the sea and enjoying the view, now that the sun had come out once again. We passed by one of the towers, the 16th-century Torre of San Giacomo, and then reached another one, the Torre di Sulis, also from the same period but much larger and with walls 6 meters thick, as it faced the land. As it was lunchtime and most attractions were closed in the city, we decided to pick up the car once again and head out to visit the Nuraghe Palmavera, north of Alghero. The complex is a significant example of Nuragic architecture in the area, built with limestone and sandstone and features an eight-meter-high main tower dating back to the 15th-14th century BC, with a central tholos chamber and a staircase leading to the terrace. Around it was once a village of 150 to 200 huts; now only the foundations of fewer than 50 remain. In the 9th century, a second tower was built, connected to the first by a courtyard and a corridor, and a meeting hut was added, containing a seat for the village chief, and a model of a nuraghe was also found inside. We toured the complex and also went to the top of the main tower for a better view. Then we drove back to Alghero and continued the visit to the city. We first passed the Torre di Porta Terra, one of the only remnants of the walls facing the land, which were completely dismantled after 1867. Then we proceeded to visit the church of San Francesco and its annexed convent. The church dates to the late 15th century and has been officiated by the Friars ever since. We started out by visiting the cloister, made up of two floors, the lower level with 22 16th-century sandstone columns, while the upper floor colonnade dates back to the 18th century. Then we moved on to visit the church proper, one of the finest examples of Catalan Gothic and Renaissance architecture on the island. In 1593, the church partially collapsed due to structural problems, possibly caused by the presence of underground aquifers, and had to be partially rebuilt, resulting in its current mix of Gothic and Renaissance styles. It features three naves, divided by round arches resting on cruciform pillars, while the highlight is the presbytery with a unique pentagonal plan with a beautiful four-pointed star vault. The high altar is in Rococo style, made in the 18th century with polychrome marble, while to the sides are nice Baroque altars in gilded and polychrome wood dating to the 18th century. After the church, we followed a man who took us up the bell tower, built in 1632. From there, we had a great view of the whole old town of Alghero and in the distance the so-called Coral Riviera, where Capo Caccia is set. Once back down, we left the church and continued our visit to the town, passing by the baroque church of San Michele, which was closed, and then arriving at the Torre di San Giovanni, dating to the 16th century and 10m in diameter and 4.3m thick. Nearby, we then visited the Coral Museum, a small but interesting exhibition on one of the area's main resources, the Corallium Rubrum or red coral. The collection houses objects created by the skilled hands of artisans and the creativity of the students of the Coral School of Alghero, while, unfortunately, there weren't any historical pieces or objects. After the visit, we then strolled through the rest of the town, admiring the nice city's architecture and heading once again by the sea walls. For dinner, we decided to have an easy and quick meal at a place called Licu, where we had the typical Sardinian fregola, Ania with veggies, and I with fish. After dinner, we had another stroll through town at nightfall and then took an ice cream to enjoy while walking.
The next morning, we woke up early and left Alghero behind, heading south along the coast. It was cloudy but nonetheless quite scenic, and we stopped often to enjoy nice views of the mountains edging the sea. After a bit of driving along the coast, we eventually reached the town of Bosa and decided first to visit the church of San Pietro, located outside the city center. Built in red trachyte during the mid-11th century, it is one of the oldest Romanesque churches in Sardinia and once constituted the old Bosa. The new apse, 24m high unfinished bell tower, and perimeter walls were built in the following century, while the facade dates to the 13th century and is attributed to the master Anselmo da Como. The interior, simple in form, is a typical three-nave and features a baptismal font in white limestone and medieval inscriptions all around the walls. From there, we drove to the city center and parked the car, continuing on foot. We approached the old town from the south, admiring the nice view of the Ponte Vecchio, a red trachyte bridge bridge from 1871 which replaced the previous wooden one, which collapsed at the beginning of the 19th century. Behind the bridge, the view of the old town with its many palaces, churches, colored houses, and the castle dominating on top of the hill above. We crossed the bridge over the Temo river and then entered the Cathedral, possibly dating back to the 12th century, but its current appearance is from the 19th century. It features a nice raised presbytery with a decorated dome and, to the side, a chapel which, due to its size, looks more like a church itself and is adorned with nice altars. From the cathedral, we walked along the main street, passing by some nice buildings and stopping to see the church of the Rosario. It dates to the late 16th century, of which it still keeps the main portal, but was heavily refurbished during the 19th century, when the whole interior was restyled, and a large double-sided public clock was added in 1875 to its facade. Moving on, we passed the nice and small Piazza Costituzione and from there took a side street to go deeper in the maze of alleys heading slowly uphill. We walked through streets lined by picturesque, colorful houses, and eventually reached the upper parts of town. From here, a staircase led to the top of the hill where the Serravalle castle is located. A ticket which we had bought for the church of San Pietro outside the center also granted entry to the castle, and so we headed into its large open courtyard. We first visited the church of Nostra Signora de Sos Regnos Altos, built around the 13th century as the palatine chapel of the castle and located right at its center. At the end of the 19th century, it was unfortunately decided to extend the apse, which was then destroyed. And during consolidation work in the 1970s, when the plaster was removed, a surprising cycle of frescoes appeared, which originally occupied the entire perimeter of the building and was therefore interrupted on the east side by the demolition of the ancient apse. This cycle of frescoes dates between the 13th and 14th centuries, attributed to Tuscan craftsmen brought in by Giovanni d'Arborea, brother of Mariano IV. The frescoes are divided into two sections, and include the Adoration of the Magi, the Last Supper, representations of the Virgin Mary and various saints, as well as the only representation in Sardinia of the Meeting of the Three Living and the Three Dead on the right wall. From the church, we then approached the castle walls from which we had a beautiful view of Bosa's old town below and the surrounding landscape. Then we walked on the walls and, following the perimeter, reached the northern side where the main keep and tower are located. The whole castle was built starting in 1112 by the noble Tuscan family of Malaspina dello Spino Secco, who settled on the island in the mid-11th century. The castle walls have a length of 352 and feature seven towers. and were built at the beginning of the castle's construction, while the main tower was built in the 14th century and was once three stories high. The Aragonese, who took possession of the castle between the 14th and 15th centuries, adapted it for the introduction of artillery, lowering some towers and building earthen ramparts so that firearms could be installed in an elevated position. After enjoying the view from the top of the keep and the rest of the walls, we exited the complex and headed back down into town. We walked over the other side of the river and reached the old tanneries, built between the 17th and 18th centuries along the river and reaching their peak in the 19th century, becoming Sardinia's largest tanning center with twenty-eight active facilities. After enjoying the view, we then stopped at the local supermarket to grab some things and drove up a nearby hill to have lunch while seeing the old town of Bosa from afar. After the break, we left the area, driving eastwards, and stopped to visit the archaeological site of Tamuli.The complex dates back to the Middle and Late Bronze Age, between the 16th and 13th centuries BC, and we started out by visiting three Giants' tombs arranged side by side, though without the typical tall central stone slab. Nearby, we then saw six conical betyls, or sacred stones that were venerated and thought to house a god or deity, arranged in two groups. Three of them have two mammillary protuberances, representing female figures. The other three, smooth and smaller in size, are thought to symbolize the male component. A little away from this area, on top of a rocky outcrop, stands the nuraghe, with a keep and a double-lobed bastion with the remains of two towers. Around it are the remains of the village with about a dozen circular and oval huts covered in moss and vegetation, which give it a Nordic look. After visiting the site, we were back in the car and, as we drove south, stopped to see the Nuraghe Losa, one of the largest and best-preserved on the island. The structure is made up of a three-lobed nuraghe dating to the 15th century BC, a rampart, the remains of a village of circular huts ranging from the 13th to the 9th centuries BC, and the 13m high central keep. We walked around the impressive site, and then up to the top of the central tower through the inner staircase, from where we had a nice view of the surroundings. After the visit we drove further south and reached the town of Fordongianus. Here we first visited the so-called Casa Aragonese, built between the 16th and 17th centuries, names so because of the Gothic-Aragonese motifs that decorate it. It was inhabited until 1978 and now houses a museum. We first admired the nice, large loggia with red trachyte columns in front of it and the windows, also made of red trachyte, decorated with floral and religious motifs. We toured the house, seeing the many rooms and small backyard, and then exited to head to the next site in town, the ancient Roman baths, the Terme di Fordongianus. located by the Tirso River. The area features a natural thermoactive water source, which flows at 56 degrees all year round, and the Romans took advantage of it by building public baths and naming the area Aquae Ypsitanae. Once inside the complex, we admired the first building dating to the 1st century AD, featuring a rectangular pool with porticoed sides, originally with a barrel vault, and service buildings next to it, including changing rooms. Next to it, slightly higher, is the next set of buildings with the usually cold, lukewarm, and hot rooms of the baths and a furnace, all dating to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. Further up, other building types, including a square, what could've been a gym, a well, and an aqueduct. The water supply was ensured by a network of canals and a system of wells and cisterns. After touring the site, we drove just outside the city center in a hilly area to reach the church of San Lussorio, built in Romanesque style around 1100 on an early Christian crypt. Once there, the gate to the church was closed, but going around the perimeter wall, I found an opening and then noticed a shepherd with his dog nearby. I waved and asked if it was alright to take some pictures. He replied that it was fine and mentioned that the church wasn't his, but it was very nice and still worth seeing from the outside since it was closed. At that point, we got back in the car and drove on to reach a large archaeological site, the Santuario Nuragico di Santa Cristina. We started out by visiting the main feature of the site, the Pozzo Sacro di Santa Cristina, a well temple dating back to the Late Bronze Age, 12th century BC, and considered the largest and best-preserved on the island. Built with finely worked basalt blocks using precise techniques, like other examples, it is surrounded by a sacred enclosure called themenos in the shape of a lock. It consists of a vestibule, a staircase, and a chamber with a false dome known as a tholos vault made with concentric rings. The stairwell has a trapezoidal section with walls projecting seven meters, and the 25 steps narrow gradually as they descend to the cell, covered by mirror-image lintels giving it the effect of an upside-down staircase. The site evokes the cults of water, which attracted Nuragic peoples from all over the island. I descended to the water and felt how mystical the place was. Around it are the remains of the nuragic village, with huts, including the 10m in diameter meeting hut and other service huts. Following a trail, we then reached the second section of the archaeological site. First we saw the small rural church of Santa Cristina, originally dating back to the 11th century, surrounded by 36 dwellings known as muristenes or cumbessias, built in the 18th century. These dwellings dwellings house the faithful who gather in prayer during the novenas, or nine days, leading up to the festivities, in mid-May in honor of the saint and at the end of October in honor of the archangel Raphael. Contuining on we then reached the Santa Cristina nuraghe, dating back to the 15th century BC, and featuring asingle tower with a simple circular shape, currently six meters high and 13 meters wide. Surrounding it are the remains of a large village, first Nuragic and then from various other periods, enclosed by a fence. Once we had completed the visit to the whole archaeological site, we left and drove for a while, reaching the town of Bonarcado. At its northern end are two historical churches set on a lovely square. The first is the Sanctuary of Nostra Signora di Bonacattu, a Byzantine structure dating between the 5th and 8th centuries, built over a previous ancient Roman structure. Next to it is the much larger Basilica of Santa Maria, a dark basalt stone Romanesque building from 1146, expanded in the following century and again in 1700. The Condaghe di Santa Maria di Bonarcado from the 12th and 13th centuries was written in the monastic abbey and contains historical and socio-economic information about a period of prosperity for the village under the Giudicato of Torres, and is among the oldest documents in Sardinian. A short drive then brought us to the next town, Milis, where the church of San Paolo is located. Built in Romanesque style during the 12th century in four different types of stone: limestone, trachyte, basalt, and tuff. It was closed, so we could only admire it from the outside. Finally, after a bit more driving, we arrived in Oristano, where we checked into our accommodation, a nice country house just outside the city center. After that, we headed into the city to walk around and have dinner. We opted for a restaurant called Craf da Banana, where we had pane frattau and malloreddus, a type of gnocchi. After dinner, we then had a stroll around town, passing by some of the main monuments in town, including the baroque Cathedral, originally from the 12th century, the neoclassical church of San Francesco, and then to Piazza Giuseppe Manno, which was crowded with people and food stands due to a Latin food festival. We walked then through the pretty and central Piazza Eleonora d'Arborea and then reached the northern end of town, where the Torre di Mariano II is located, a beautiful medieval tower and gate dating to 1290.
In the morning, we took our time and then left Oristano heading west towards the coast. We reached the Sinis Peninsula, and after parking the car, headed to visit one of the most famous archaeological sites on the island, the Tharros archaeological area. The site is located at the beginning of the narrow peninsula and includes a vast area. The city of Tharros was founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th century BC next to a Bronze Age pre-existing nuragic village. It then continued existence during the Punic period and was then conquered and further developed during the Roman period, eventually being abandoned during the 11th century AD. Once inside the archaeological site, I joined a guided tour included in the ticket, and we started out with a visit to the northern part of the site, where the tophet is set, a sacred open-air area where urns containing the cremated remains of stillborn or prematurely deceased infants were placed on rocks or on the ground. This was also the highest point of the area where we could see the rest of the town and ruins that extend to the seaside. From there, we followed the old Roman road and reached the core of the site. After a while, I figured out the parking lot ticket was about to expire, and we still had quite a bit to visit. I ran out to add more time, but as the tour went on, I decided to visit the Tower of San Giovanni di Sinis, right next to the entrance, which was included in the ticket, and which would close for lunch soon. The tower, built halfway down the peninsula, was built between the 15th and 16th centuries as one of the many coastal watchtowers on the island. From above, I had a beautiful view with the Tharros archaeological site right below and the beaches to the north. After the visit, I was back inside the archaeological area and continued the visit by myself. I passed by the Roman baths, and a baptistery used by the Byzantines, and then a series of temples, one built during the Punic period, and the other rebuilt by the Romans. After some more buildings, mostly residential and for commerce, the tour of the site was over, and I headed out to meet up with Ania. We chose to spend some time at the beach right next to the archaeological area. The beach was quite emèty, large, and with beautiful blue water. We lay on the sand, and I took a few swims and then ate the lunch we had brought with us. After quite some time there, we decided to go. Leaving the peninsula, we stopped to visit briefly the church of San Giovanni di Sinis, built during the Byzantine period in the mid-6th century on an area formerly used as a Punic and then Christian necropolis, and then expanded between the 9th and 10th centuries. After that, we drove a bit northwards and reached the small village of San Salvatore in Sinis. Here we had a tour, together with just another person, of the village and church. The village is deserted all year round, but like others around Sardinia, it comes alive between late August and early September for the local religious celebration and for the Corsa degli Scalzi, a men-only run where people from the nearby city of Cabras run barefoot for 7km to the village. At the center of the village is the church dedicated to Jesus the Savior, which houses a precious underground area that we then visited. This underground hypogeum was partly carved into the rock and partly built using bricks and mortar during the 4th century AD. The complex features a narrow corridor flanked on both sides by quadrangular rooms and at its center a circular room with a well, and onwards another semicircular room. The rooms feature depictions and inscriptions that evidence the passage of people over centuries. Some featured mythological scenes, boats, animals, chariots, or quadriga races, and ranged from simple amateur sketches to more complex life-like figures. Particularly interesting were the ancient Roman quadriga, Hercules and the Nemean lion, the figure of a gladiator, and an Arabic text. After the nice tour, we continued on our drive and headed in the direction of Oristano, passing it and reaching the suburbs where we visited the Basilica of Santa Giusta. This large 12th-century Romanesque Pisan structure has not been altered over the centuries, preserving its original style. Its facade features a portal, where a lion and a lioness are carved in marble, preying on a pig and a roe deer, symbols of the victory of the Gospel over heresy. Inside the columns, all beautiful and different are reused pieces from the Roman era, most probably from the ancient city of Tharros. Below the crypt, a unique example in Sardinian Romanesque architecture built entirely of masonry, rectangular with four small naves, cross vaults, and divided by dwarf marble columns with decorated capitals. Once we had visited the church, we headed into the city and opted to eat dinner at the Pizzeria Santa Marghe, where we had a really tasty Neapolitan pizza. We then strolled around the old town once again and then headed back to the accommodation.
The next day, we woke up at a decent pace and left Oristano, heading south along the coast. We drove along the so-called Green Coast, where the mountains covered in forest reach the seashore. We stopped at a small beach in Marina di Gutturu ’e Flumini but left soon after after deciding to head on further. Eventually, we came to the Piscinas Dunes, large sand dunes covering the whole area and extending deep into the interior away from the sea. We parked the car along the road and then walked down the dunes to reach the shore. There were barely any people along the beach, and we chose a nice spot all by ourselves right on the waterfront. We spent a bit of time there, enjoying the golden sand and the crystal clear water for some swimming. I then also decided to walk along the shore and explore a bit of the area and the rest of the dunes. After the nice, long stay there, we decided to continue on the trip. We discovered, though, that the road we had been driving on went through the dunes and also over a small river, which can only be crossed in summer when it's dry. We had to turn around and take another road to eventually reach the Su Mannau cave, where we then booked a tour to visit the interior. After the allotted time, we started by climbing a set of stairs up a hill through the forest and reaching the cave's entrance. The large karst complex, which formed during the Cambrian period, reaches a length of 8 kilometers and consists of two main sections, on different levels, originating from two underground rivers. The cave is also interesting from an archaeological and scientific point of view, as remains of some votive oil lamps of Nuragic origin and artifacts from the Phoenician and Roman periods have been found, with the belief that it was once an underground temple. We visited the interior, following the guide who detailed the many stalagmites and stalagtites and then brought us down the staircase leading to the lower part. The view was really impressive where the cave went quite deep down. We saw cool features where the rivers formed small waterfalls and lakes, and then ended the tour by going back up. After that, a short drive brought us to the Tempio di Antas, which we then visited after buying the entry ticket. The archaeological site featured a Nuragic village, a Nuragic necropolis, ancient Roman quarries, and the main highlight, a temple. At its base are the foundations of a Punic temple dating to the 5th century BC, dedicated to the god Sid Addir, continuing the previous Nuragic cult dedicated to the god of water and vegetation. Above it, still standing and quite well-preserved, the ancient Roman built around 38 BC at the behest of Emperor Augustus. The front of the temple, which is the one still mostly visible, consists of six columns, four at the front and two at the sides, approximately eight meters high and with Ionic capitals. Originally, there was also a triangular pediment, and the central cell was accessible through two side openings. The cell in the center, and the adyton, only reserved for officials, in the back, only had the foundations remaining. We walked around and through it and admired the whole complex. Then we walked around the area and also managed to see a 200-year-old cork tree. After the visit to the temple, it was time to conclude our day by reaching the city of Iglesias, in the southwestern part of Sardinia. We checked into our accommodation and then headed through town to explore a little. We passed by the church of San Francesco from the 16th century, which was closed, and then by the Cathedral, also closed. We walked through the main street and then some minor streets, which gave us a really nice impression of the city, which was also quite lively. We picked a place for dinner and ate at the Il Medioevale restaurant, where we had a nice meal. After a round walk later at night, we then went back to sleep.
The next morning we woke up early and had another stroll through town, we first visited the Cathedral, which had a mass going on. This nice romanesque gothic building originally dates to the 13th century but was refurbished in the 16th century resulting in its current style with a nave with nice Catalan gothic arches. We then continued on through town, passing through the picturesque square, Piazza Lamarmora, and reached the northern end of town where a nice set of medieval walls still remains. They were built during the 13th century by the Pisans, and once completely encircled the town, though now only the northwestern section remains. Once we had seen enough, it was time to get in the car and drive to the coast, where we had a tour starting soon. We arrived in the hamlet of Masua, where we then visited Porto Flavia, a 600m long tunnel dug into the rock. Although it was a site dug by miners, it was not a mine, but rather a port for shipping material extracted from nearby mines, further uphill. It was designed in 19124 by engineer Cesare Vecelli and named after the engineer's eldest daughter, Flavia. The tunnel emerges halfway up a cliff leading to an opening where there's a monumental gate flanked by a tower a few meters above sea level, where mining materials were once loaded onto ships. Today, this spot offers a stunning view of the 132-meter-high Pan di Zucchero rock formation. Inside the tunnels, there were gigantic silos capable of holding up to 10,000 tons of material, mostly lead and zinc, and also silver. After the nice guided tour, we then exited the complex and walked down a path that led us to a small pebble beach, where we set ourselves down and spent a bit of time at the beach. We had an amazing view of the Pan di Zucchero rock in the distance, and with nice, crystal clear water around us. I had a few swims and then relaxed a bit in the sun. After that, and getting back to the car, we drove shortly to reach Nebida, a town on the coast born as a mining village. Here we reached a nice terraced area from where we had a beautiful view of the coast. A path led then down towards a brick and exposed stone building right by the seaside on a cliff edge. This was a washing plant used for sorting and separating minerals, mostly lead and zinc, from common rocks, a task mainly carried out by women. Nearby were also the calcination furnaces, storage warehouses, and the pier from which the materials were shipped. We didn't walk all the way, but admired this industrial archaeology and the amazing surrounding landscape from above. Back in the car, we then continued driving south along the coast, stopping briefly to admire the large sand beach of Fontanamare with its constant wind, a paradise for kite and windsurfers. After a bit more driving, this time heading towards the interior, we then stopped at the Necropolis of Montessu. The days had started getting much warmer, and at that time, the temperatures had reached close to 40 degrees. Even the guy at the ticket office had questioned our choice to visit the site instead of staying at the beach. He gave us a brief tour of the site from the interior of the air-conditioned rooms and then let us tour the area by ourselves. The site was spread over the southern flank of a hilly area known as Sa Pranedda, and consists of over 40 domus de janas of various sizes and layouts, mostly aligned symmetrically along the rock face in a seemingly preordained design. The Montessu necropolis is one of the most significant and fascinating pre-Nuragic sites on the island, in use for a millennium and a half, from the late Neolithic period (3200-2800 BC) to the early Bronze Age (1800-1600 BC). The tombs were split into two sections, east and west, and we started with the eastern one. Some tombs were only showing part of a room, while others had a whole complex of connected rooms, and I tried visiting all of them, admiring the beautiful relief carvings, including spirals, concentric symbols, and bull protomes on many of them. After suffering the heat but admiring the beautiful site, we got back in the car and drove on to reach the village of Tratalias. It was founded around the year 1000 and enjoyed its heyday as an episcopal see during the Pisan and Spanish periods, maintaining a leading role until the 19th century. The original village was abandoned in the 1980s, after the creation of the artificial lake of Monte Pranu, whose waters seeped in and rendered the houses uninhabitable, and so a new village had to be built a few hundred meters away and further uphill. Despite being abandoned, it now feels quite nice and polished, with some of the houses being reused by locals or returnees. I visited the small museum, which detailed the history of the village, and then visited the beautiful former cathedral of Santa Maria di Monserrato, built between 1212 and 1282 in a Romanesque style. Made of limestone and trachyte, it features a facade divided into two orders, with around arch decorated with plant motifs below and a rose window with a multi-lobed oculus above. Curiously, some steps appear at the top of the tympanum leading from the interior of the church to the roof. The three naved interior, separated by pillars and round arches, is simple but features a nice, small 16th-century altarpiece.Next to the church, in one of the small village houses, I was then invited inside by some old local ladies to see a small exhibition with traditional clothes and furniture, and a section with handmade miniature scenes of the local feast. From Tratalias, we then drove further north and reached the archaeological park of Monte Sirai, located on a hilltop considered strategic because it allowed control of the land and sea communication routes of what is now the Sulcis area. A town was erected on the hilltop by Phoenicians from Tyre during the 8th century BC, on a previous nuragic site. It prospered and was then occupied by Carthaginians around 520 BC, who, after a period of decline, fortified it and completely rebuilt it. The Roman occupation of the 2nd century did not affect the site, making it the only Phoenician-Punic colony to have such intact remains. I walked through the site, which included only residential buildings, and the only public building, which was a temple dedicated to Ashtart. From the ruins of the town, I had an incredible view of the surrounding landscape, with the sea and the islands of Sant'Antioco and San Pietro in the distance. I then continued the visit by seeing the Punic necropolis with funeral customs that changed from the cremation, which had been the prevailing practice during the Phoenician period, being replaced by burial with intact bodies buried in chamber tombs dug into the tuff below. I then completed the visit to the site with the tophet, built in 360BC, with buried urns containing the bones of children and some animals, as well as small objects such as amulets, jewelry, and miniature pottery, which might have been toys owned by the children rather than grave goods. After that, it was time to go, as sunset was approaching. We drove south and east along the coast until we reached the town of Pula, where we would be spending the last nights of our Sardinian tour. After checking into our accommodation, we headed to the city center to look for a place to have dinner. We opted for A Casa di Nonna, where we had a tasty meal, meatballs and ragu ravioli for me, and caponata and tagliatelle with mushrooms for Ania. After dinner, we had a stroll through the lively town and then headed to sleep.
The next morning, we woke up at a leisurely pace and then headed to visit the archaeological park of Nora, the largest and most important in all of Sardinia. Located on a small peninsula, it was built by the Phoenicians in the 8th century near pre-existing Nuragic settlements and later occupied and expanded by Carthaginians first and conquered by the Romans later in 238BC. It became a Roman municipium in the 1st century AD, and in the following two centuries, it experienced its heyday, with urban growth as well as being the zero-kilometer point of all the roads on the island. As we entered the site also here we also joined a tour guide included in the entry. We first passed by the eastern baths, with the typical different rooms for cold, lukewarm, and warm water, and some of them still featuring mosaic floors. We then walked through the entire site and reached the northwestern part, where the guide introduced us to the Phoenician and Punic necropolis, and later to the Temple of Tanit, the Carthaginian goddess. The rest of the archaeological area was mainly made up of ancient Roman structures. We passed by the forum, ruins of a temple, and the rather well-preserved theatre. We then reached the western side of the site, next to the water, where a series of private buildings, as well as public ones, such as more baths, and the foundations of an early Christian basilica. Moving on, we then visited more baths, the largest and most decorated of the ancient city, and further a couple of private mansions, one known as the house with a tetrastyle atrium, with beautiful floor mosaics and four still-standing columns of a porticoed atrium. We then passed the sanctuary to Aesculapius and then some smaller baths and a residential quarter right by the water, though once the coastline during Roman times extended further out. After exploring the nice and large archaeological site, while also admiring the Torre del Coltellazzo o di Sant'Efisio, a medieval coastal watchtower, ever present on the highest promontory of the peninsula, we then exited. We decided to spend a little time at the small beach just north of the archaeological area, where the water was shallow and had beautiful hues of blue and green. After the nice break at the beach, we left the area, stopped at a supermarket, and then drove north to reach the castle of Acquafredda. Here we first stopped at a bench under a tree and ate our lunch. Then we purchased the ticket and visited the castle. Set on a hill of volcanic origin, rising to a height of 256 meters above sea level, named for the presence of a spring of fresh water, and dominating the Cixerri valley, the castle stands alone in a picturesque location. Dating back to the 13th century its construction is attributed to Ugolino Della Gherardesca, Count of Donoratico, lord of southwestern Sardinia from 1257, after the fall of the Giudicato of Cagliari. He was nicknamed the cursed count because of the end he and his family met: after falling into disgrace, he was imprisoned in Pisa in the Gualandi tower, otherwise known as the Tower of Hunger, where he died of starvation in 1288, together with his children and grandchildren. Legend has it that, desperate with hunger, he fed on the flesh of his children, earning himself the nickname the cannibal count. This episode is recounted by Dante in his Divine Comedy in the 23rd canto of the Inferno. The castle was then conquered by the Aragonese but later fell into a state of neglect. The structure, now very degraded, was part of a fortification divided into three levels: the village, the cistern tower, and the castle itself. The village, at the foot of the complex, included areas for servants, troops, stables, and warehouses, and was defended by a crenellated wall about 80m long. On the second level, a cistern tower is still visible, with a barrel vault and consisting of three rooms that could be completely filled with water. The castle, which originally had a U-shaped plan and was divided into three floors, doesn't have anything of the main tower, but just the exterior walls, and the watchtower, located just below them. After walking through the site and reaching the top, we enjoyed the beautiful view of the surrounding landscape. Once we had spent a bit of time up there, with a slight breeze helping with the heat of the day, we then descended and drove back to Pula. We spent the rest of the evening walking around town and then heading out for dinner at the AMA restaurant, where I had a platter appetizer with different types of fish and seafood, and then ravioli filled with seafood, and then fish as a second course, while Ania had a veggie platter.
The next day, our last on Sardinia, we left at a later time, driving all the way across the island, from south to north, reaching the Alghero airport, where we eventually dropped off the car and took a flight back home.
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| The crypt of Santa Restituita in Cagliari |
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| The church of San Michele |
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| The Torre dell'Elefante |
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| The Giants of Mont'e Prama inside the National Archaeological Museum |
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| The ancient Roman amphitheater |
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| The church of San Pantaleo in Dolianova |
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| The Pranu Muttedu archaeological complex |
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| View from the Giara di Serri |
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| The well temple of Santa Vittoria |
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| The Su Nuraxi of Barumini |
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| The church of the Immacolata Concezione |
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| The Arrubiu nuraghe |
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| View from the top of the Scala di San Giorgio near Osini |
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| The Su Marmuri cave |
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| The Tacco di Ulassai plateau |
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| View of Ulassai |
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| The Torre di Barì beach |
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| The beach in Cea |
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| View from the top of Punta Salinas |
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| The Cala Goloritzé |
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| The Gennargentu massif |
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| The church of San Giacomo Maggiore in Orosei |
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| The church and tower of Sant'Antonio Abate |
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| View from Cala Fuili |
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| The water at the Cala di Oddoana |
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| A view of Cala Luna |
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| The Tomba dei Giganti S'Ena e Thomes |
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| View of Posada |
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| The beach at Porto Istana |
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| View from the castle of Pedres |
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| The elephant beach in Capriccioli |
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| La Celvia beach |
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| View of the Ladas Dolmen |
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| View from the castle of Casteldoria |
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| The Castelsardo Cathedral |
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| View of the beach and old town |
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| The Basilica of the Nostra Signora di Tergu |
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| A picturesque scene in Sassari |
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| The Rossello fountain |
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| The Basilica of the Santissima Trinità of Saccargia |
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| The interior of the Basilica di Nostra Signora del Regno in Ardara |
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| The Altare rupestre of Santo Stefano in Oschiri |
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| One of the tombs of the Necropolis of Sant'Andrea Priu |
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| View of the town and castle of Burgos |
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| The Nuraghe Santu Antine in Torralba |
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| Interior of the nuraghe |
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| The beach of La Pelosa |
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| The Pre-Nuragic sanctuary of Monte d'Accoddi |
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| One of the tombs of the Necropolis of Anghelu Ruju |
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| Alghero by night |
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| The Escala del Cabirol |
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| Neptune's Cave |
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| The cloister of St Francis in Alghero |
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| The old town of Bosa |
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| View of the town from the Serravalle castle |
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| The Nuraghe Losa |
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| The Aragonese house in Fordongianus |
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| The ancient roman baths |
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| The church of San Lussorio |
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| The sacred well of Santa Cristina |
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| The beach of San Giovanni di Sinis |
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| The archaeological area of Tharros |
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| The village of San Salvatore di Sinis |
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| The Piazza Eleonora d'Arborea in Oristano |
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| The tower of Mariano II |
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| The dunes of Piscinas |
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| The Su Mannau cave |
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| The Tempio di Antas |
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| The Cathedral of Iglesias |
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| The Masua beach in Porto Flavia |
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| The view from Nebida |
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| The Necropolis of Montessu |
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| One of the tombs |
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| Santa Maria di Monserrato in Tratalias |
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| Mosaics in the archaeoligical park of Nora |
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| View of the site with the Torre del Coltellazzo o di Sant'Efisio |
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| The beach next to the archaeological site |
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| The Acquafredda castle |
