83.2: Giovanni Lilliu had defined the nuragic village of Ruinas, located at an altitude of 1,197 meters above sea level on the Gennargentu Mountains of Arzana, as the highest in Sardinia. In reality, there is another nuraghe, Ura ‘e Sole di Desulo, which at 1,331 meters above sea level should hold this record. The website of the Municipality of Arzana reports the considerations of Orazio Ferreli, a writer and scholar “in love with his land,” who describes the village of Ruinas (sa Idda ‘e Ruinas) as follows: “A vast field of ruins extends, in which the remains of about 200 circular constructions are clearly visible, and the remains of another 20 can be glimpsed, while many are believed to be hidden under mounds of rubble seen here and there. The nuraghe dominates the village, whose constructions, all circular in shape, are scattered without order throughout the territory. Without a doubt, this is the most extensive nuragic village that I was able to survey during my archaeological exploration campaign.” The website of the Municipality also states that in the area of Ruinas, the ruins of Bidda Silisè, Cortes de Maceddu, and Adana are recorded, which are said to have been abandoned around 1400 due to a plague, and that its inhabitants were welcomed by Arzana in exchange for their lands. Today, the villages are completely destroyed except for the nuraghe in the upper part of the village, called by the Arzanese shepherds Sa Presoni è Molato, and a few other residual traces. In ancient times, it must have been a large center, to which all the shepherds of the area were connected, and it must have also been equipped with fountains and wells, as water flows naturally from various parts.
The photos of the nuragic village of Ruinas are by Giovanni Sotgiu, Lucia Corda, Maurizio Cossu, and Andrea Mura-Nuragando Sardegna.
