The archaeologist Augusto Mulas described the Nuraghe Appiu of Villanova Monteleone in a brief report drafted in the year 2014 as follows:
The nuraghe Appiu, located in the territory of the municipality of Villanova Monteleone (SS), presents itself, in light of recent excavations, as a “unicum,” showcasing a unique architectural feature that, in my opinion, opens a new and very important chapter regarding the actual configuration of some nuraghi. In particular, I refer to the so-called hypetral spaces or open-air courtyards present in many nuraghi, often of very small dimensions (consider the courtyard of nuraghe Palmavera, that of nuraghe Santa Barbara di Macomer, that of Ruinas, of San Pietro di Torpè, just to name a few), which make the use of these environments difficult to read and understand.
The discovery, for the first time, of a quadrilobed nuraghe equipped with an inner central courtyard and moreover vaulted (almost a semi-tholos with a central oculus that rests on the main tower, in one of the images you can see people inside the courtyard), preserved between the wall curtain that connects the two peripheral towers of southeast and southwest and the main tower, raises new questions about what the function of this room must have been, certainly not an environment intended for defense, but almost a space for connection or preparation for entering the main tower, and at the same time functional for access to the peripheral towers and some internal corridors (still in excellent condition), which, starting from the same courtyard, connect it with the other two peripheral towers located to the north and northwest.
The structures so far uncovered by the specialists’ interventions, at least regarding the front facade and the two peripheral towers, show no type of opening towards the outside (the term “slits,” now outdated as well as inappropriate) except for the main one.
This nuraghe therefore presents a new chapter (unfortunately almost entirely ignored by the scientific community) on how the nuraghi were actually constructed and thus on their intended use. Beyond these brief considerations, there is nothing else to add except an invitation to all enthusiasts of nuragic civilization to visit yet another jewel left to us as a legacy by our illustrious ancestors.
The photos of the nuraghe Appiu of Villanova Monteleone are by Giovanni Sotgiu, Maurizio Cossu, Diversamente Sardi, and Monica Renzo.