On the edge of the Gennargentu, shrouded in clouds and legends, it towers a thousand metres above the valleys of the Barbagia di Seulo furrowed by the Flumendosa, in the centre of Sardinia.
You will spot it almost suddenly, on the top of a rocky spur along a spectacular panoramic road overlooking hills and green valleys, and it will fascinate you by its position and context and intrigue you by a mysterious path. The Ardasai Nuraghe stands on the slopes of Mount Tonneri, some 13 kilometres from the town of Seui. A strategic position from which to control the access routes to the Barbagie. The structure is part of a complex that also includes a village, remains of a Giants’ tomb and possibly a sacred spring.The nuraghe is a single tower, probably built during the Middle Bronze Age (17th-14th century B.C.) with large limestone ashlars, originally developed on several levels. Today, the tholos-vaulted lower floor and the helicoidal staircase that led to the second level are preserved. A curtain wall with secondary towers extended around the tower, traces of which can be seen today. The village huts were arranged around the nuraghe, had an oval or circular layout and in some cases exploited the natural conformation of the rock. Further traces of settlements are scattered on the surrounding hills and in the valley: the fortified nuragic village of Serra su Casteddu occupies the summit of the mountain that rises in front of the Ardasai nuraghe, on the opposite side of the road, while other nuraghi, burial grounds, villages and megalithic circles appear all around, within a radius of a few hundred metres.
The Ardasai is the subject of a legend that links it to the fortress of Monte Baranta in Olmedo, with which it also shares a position on an overhanging outcrop: a paved path starts from the south-west side of the tower, which apparently ends in a sort of natural gateway, bordered by two limestone boulders. Beyond is the edge of a ravine. At Monte Baranta and in the surroundings of Gairo Vecchio there would be similar paths, which local legends and traditions would identify with the places where in Antiquity the ritual sacrifices of the village elders would have been celebrated.
Source: Sardinia Tourism.
The photos of the Ardasai nuraghe, in Seui, are by Marco Cocco, Maurizio Cossu, Nuraviganne and Ascanio Saddi. The photo of the megalithic complex of Monte Baranta, in Olmedo, is by Sergio Melis.
