13: Giants’ Tombs of Madau – Fonni

13– The tombs of giants of Madau, in Fonni, are one of the 31 monuments proposed to UNESCO as flag bearers of the grandiose Nuragic civilization, its history, and its vast material testimonies.

“The burials rise in the center of the valley of the riu Madau, towards the pass of Corru ‘e Boi, on top of a low plateau, in the Barbagia of Ollolai, a region of central Sardinia.The site, a true necropolis of giant tombs, includes four burials facing SE.

The largest burial preserves the tomb structure (length 22.20 m) preceded by a wide exedra (rope 24 m; arrow 4.5 m) that delimits the space designated for funeral ceremonies.

The tomb structure features an internal design consisting of a system of parallel masonry partitions that reinforce the burial chamber. This structure is covered by a mound delimited by a crepidine of worked slabs: among these are some fragments of a stele with a cup belonging to an older giant tomb. The upper part of the tomb structure ends with a “naveta” masonry structure formed by inclined base orthostats on which blocks are placed in regular rows retreating towards the arched summit” (Sardegna Cultura).

The photos of the funerary complex of Madau in Fonni are by: Sergio Melis, Valentino Selis, Bibi Pinna, Lucia Corda, and Francesca Cossu.