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Sardegna

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Vivere la campagna

Barumini, ‘Su Nuraxi’

Aerial photo of the village ‘Su Nuraxi’

This Nuragic settlement stands as the very symbol of Nuragic architecture in Sardinia. Its construction started in 2nd century B.C.; in its most advanced stage, it had become a fortified village. It is a complex monument, of quadrilobate plan, composed by a central keep, initially measuring 18 metres; it comprised three internal rooms, built on different levels, each provided with a spiral staircase in-built in the walling structure. Subsequently, four side towers were added and interconnected by a massive stone wall; also, a village of huts was constructed. Probably, the chief of the clan, or prince, used to live inside the village, which offered hospitality to all the inhabitants in case of need (although a multiplicity of theories exists on this subject). The site was at its height when the construction was fortified between the 10th and the 8th century, marked by Carthaginian invasions. Eventually, despite of fortification works, the Carthaginians managed to break through the nuraghe in the 7th century, eventually destroying its defensive system. The village was inhabited until the 3rd century A.D.