Nuraghi: universities in Sardinia support Unesco candidacy

(AGI) – Sassari, January 12 – The Sardinian universities of Sassari and Cagliari are participating, with their own professors, in the regional project to nominate the nuraghi for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. “In a reality like Sardinia, there are about a thousand monuments, 8,000 Tombs of the Giants, nuragic villages, and religious centers,” recalls Maria del Zompo, rector of the University of Cagliari. “Sardinia has a wealth that must be enhanced and safeguarded, based on scientific awareness.”

This morning in a joint press videoconference, the two universities officially expressed their support for the project promoted by the association ‘La Sardegna verso l’Unesco’. (AGI)

(AGI) – Sassari, January 12 – “Universities have a duty to stay close to the territory to make a significant contribution to growth and development. Now they want to dump the waste from the whole national territory here,” denounces Gavino Mariotti, rector of the University of Sassari. “We must oppose this, because we cannot mortify the territory in this way. Universities are ready with their expertise to lead the territory towards enhancement as in this ambitious UNESCO recognition project.”

The island has a heritage spread throughout the territory, a peculiarity on which the promoters are focusing. “Several municipalities have decided together with the regional council in favor of this path,” recalls Michele Cossa, regional councilor of the Reformers and president of the association, “and the support of the scientific community helps us to move towards a single great objective, which is to bring Sardinia out of an inexplicable shadow cone to enter into the realm of what is knowable in the whole world.”

The UNESCO recognition, in addition to enhancing the archaeological heritage, could contribute to systematizing all scientific knowledge surrounding the nuragic world: “As much as protohistoric scientific research has advanced, there are still many dark areas whose studies need to progress,” explains Anna Depalmas, archaeologist and member of the scientific committee of the association ‘Sardegna verso l’Unesco’. “The two universities have archived various information that needs to be systematized; a centralized management is needed, and this requires resources. The UNESCO path is a golden opportunity to take this great step.” (AGI)