Su Nuraxi di Barumini

Located in Barumini, Sardinia, Su Nuraxi di Barumini (‘The Nuraghe of Barumini’) is a prime example of one of Sardinia’s many nuraghe structures.

History of Su Nuraxi di Barumini

Little is known about the nuraghe, except that they are thought to have been built from the Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age (circa 1500-800BC) by the island’s inhabitants as a form of defence, particularly against the Carthaginians.

Comprised of a series of stone structures, Su Nuraxi di Barumini became a settlement in its own right, with a village intended to accommodate the surrounding population being built in the Late Bronze Age. It was attacked by the Carthaginians in the seventh century BC, but continued to be inhabited up to as late as the third century AD. This even post-dated the Roman conquest of Sardinia.

The site was fully excavated between 1950 and 1957. This allowed archaeologists to retrace the different stages of the construction of the towers and surrounding village, confirming that the entire complex was once a thriving and vital centre up until the first century BC. No parallel to the style of these structures exists anywhere else in the world: they are totally unique, and are considered by scholars to be the most impressive expression of the Nuragic civilisation. Su Nuraxi di Barumini is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Su Nuraxi di Barumini Today

Today, Su Nuraxi di Barumini is still an impressive site, the main highlight of which is its central stone tower. Typically of a nuraghe, this was constructed without the use of bonding materials such as mortar, demonstrating a sophisticated level of engineering.

Many other structures have been identified at Su Nuraxi di Barumini, including homes, a theatre, and temples, all of which are seemingly intertwined in what looks like a complex mosaic.

Getting to Su Nuraxi di Barumini

From the centre of Sardinia, the site is reachable in around an hour and a half via the SP38 road. From the centre of Barumini, they are easy to find, with the site being accessible via the SP5.22 road in a minute by car or 5 minutes by bike.