The nuragic temple of Malchittu, in Arzachena, in the photos by Giovanni Sotgiu, who also wrote the preface to the description taken from gesecoarzachena.it.
“To reach it, we walk along a beautiful path amidst the granites of Gallura, a path of about one and a half kilometers uphill, at times also tiring.
But once we arrive up there, the sacredness of the place and its great peace captivates the visitor, who can silently contemplate the beauty of the monument and the environment in which the ancient builders erected it.”
From the website gesecoarzachena.it:
“The small temple of Malchittu is located in the Malchittu area, situated at the gates of Arzachena, on the state road 125 Arzachena-Olbia (SS 125). In the same area, there are also the Nuraghe Albucciu and the tomb of the Giants Moru. The small temple can only be reached on foot, via an uphill path of about 1.5 km, starting from the ticket office. The last stretch, with a steep slope, is on rock. It is therefore advisable to wear comfortable shoes and to pay attention during the walk.
The small temple of Malchittu is an interesting and original nuragic place of worship, located between two granite heights at 120 meters above sea level. In ancient times it was protected by a defensive wall and a nuraghe located on the height opposite it, of which only the collapse remains today. At a lower altitude, there is also a large circular structure, possibly a hut.
The building is almost entirely preserved; only the roof is missing, which was supposed to be gabled, made of wooden beams resting on a ridge beam.
The chamber, in an apsidal rectangular shape (8 meters long and 4 meters wide), is preceded by a quadrangular atrium created by the extension of the lateral walls on the façade. For this characteristic, it is classified in the category of temples called “a megaron,” so named for their resemblance to architectures from the Aegean area and widespread in Sardinia since the 13th century BC.
Inside the chamber, it is possible to observe some furnishings presumably related to the performance of rituals. A bench carved into the back wall may have hosted offerings. A sort of seat in the center of the right wall was perhaps intended for an officiant, while another, opposite on the opposite wall, was for the people admitted to the cults. A circular hearth in the center of the space suggests the use of fire during rituals and gatherings attended by the communities from the surrounding territory. Unfortunately, due to the scarcity of finds, the rituals in use and to which deity they were directed are not known. The fragments of pottery found have allowed us to understand that the life of the building began during the Middle Bronze Age, between the 18th and 17th centuries BC.”
