Historians often tell us that religious-purpose buildings tended to be located in high places which formed a sort of natural altar. It’s certainly difficult to say how real the connection between height and sacredness is from a rational standpoint.
The plateau known as ‘Giara di Gesturi’ is a special place from many points of view. Ours is that of archaeology. Its slopes are dotted with remains from various periods, bearing witness to many centuries of human presence.
Ci troviamo in presenza di una delle aree archeologiche più note della Sardegna, occupata da un nuraghe complesso – due torri e antemurale – e da un villaggio.
Visiting archaeological sites means above all plunging into a sensory experience. It is our body, in its fullness, which enjoys the experience. If we let ourselves be guided by it, if we listen to it, we can hope to enter into contact with the past thanks to the traces reaching us from other worlds.
Time alters the material shape of things, but also changes their meaning. That is why the past reaches us in fragments. And that is also why interpreting the past is all but easy.
As always during our journey, the scenery is the first element which catches our attention. The communion between nature and culture penetrates our thoughts and makes us receptive to what we are going to see.
It is not unusual in Sardinia to overhear someone engaged in a discussion about the nuraghi. And quite often a friendly argument will ensue about which is the ‘biggest nuraghe’. By and large, there are two possible contestants: Su Nuraxi of Barumini and Arrubiu of Orroli.
While still travelling along State Road 131, the island’s main highway, our glance is caught by Nuraghe Cuccurada. When we reach the site we realise that we are in the presence of a complex architectural feat.
The Is Paras nuraghe stands close to the small town of Isili. It is a complex nuraghe, consisting of a keep partly incorporated into a fortress comprising three towers linked by curtain walls and enclosing a courtyard, protected on the eastern side by an outer wall.
Not all nuraghic monuments are located in rugged or hard to reach places. Some today stand near major and busy highways. This is the case of the Nuraghe Losa, an impressive fortress, built in regular courses of basalt blocks, consisting of a central keep surrounded by three towers linked by curtain walls.
Copyright © 2015 – ASPEN - Camera di Commercio I.A.A. di Nuoro – P.IVA 93010740913
