DRINKING SARDINIA’S SACRED WATER

Visit the 7 main sites of the ancient Cult of Water

Relax at the natural baths, Fordongianus, Sardinia — @nico_pe relaxing in the natural baths of the Tirso river a stone-throw away from the Roman baths of Forum Traiani in Fordongianus, Sardinia

SARDINIA’S SACRED WATER

Water has always being central to all civilizations. That’s even more true for the ancient Nuragic civilization that called Sardinia home about 3.000 years ago.

If this is your first encounter with this mysterious civilization, then figuring out to what extent water played an important role in their life is a first step in learning about Sardinia’s glorious past.

And learning about their civilization might make you reconsider some aspect of your daily life.

THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER

Since the very beginning, water has been essential to life. As man and civilizations evolved, access to water secured not only the survival of humans but also the breeding of animals and the success of farming.

THE SYMBOLS OF WATER

Symbolically, water is strictly connected with the mystery of life.

Animals and humans come to life surrounded by water (placenta). Seeds only become plants when water is added to the soil.

However, while fire is connected with the male aspect of life water represents its feminine characteristics.

In fact, water comes from the deep within the earth.

One way ancient civilizations have found to represent the female character of water is through the use of triangles, which can easily recall to mind the female genitals.

So while you’ll find most entrances to sacres wells in the form of a triangular staircase, the external structure is usually in the shape of a cone – representing the male element associated with life.

SACRED WATER

As water brings life, it was used in rituals to renew a life, give more life or youth.

However, only if correctly prepared could one access the benefits of sacred water.

That’s why pilgrims had to travel to a sanctuary and reside there for long periods of time so as to purify their soul before accessing the water rituals.

THE CULT OF WATER IN SARDINIA

The great Nuragic civilization – whose mysteries archaeologists scientists are still discovering – placed water at the center of its rituals.

All major Nuragic cities had a temple dedicated to water or had a sacred well.

Some cities even built complex structures dedicated to the cult of water.

That’s why we can find water amphiteathers, sacred wells doubling up as moon observatories, aqueducts and even saunas.

A thousand years after the Nuragic civilization, the Romans introduced their baths in Sardinia.

Still, legends about the healing properties of certain wells persisted through the centuries.

YOUR JOURNEY

On your journey exploring the ancient cult of water in Sardinia, you’ll discover the most fascinating examples of structures and rituals.

And if you are lucky enough, to unveil some of its secrets.

MAP

Here below you’ll find some pointers to your personal exploration.

You may choose to visit them all or just pick your favourite. It doesn’t really matter, because all of them share the same ancestral reverence towards the source of life. And it’s something we still feel rooted deep into our being.

1 MOON OBSERVATORY – SANTA CRISTINA

By going to the Nuragic sanctuary of Santa Cristina you’ll be able to visit Sardinia’s most refined sacred well.

In fact, this well is actually larger and better built than any other well on the island.

GEOMETRY

Dating about 1.100 years B.C., the walls of the well have been crafted and positioned with exact geometry.

As you’ll see by descending down to the water surface in a peculiar “mirrored” staircase, every block of stone in these steps has the exact same dimensions of the others. And the distance of blocks in the cone-shaped roof is so precise as to create a geometrically rigorous design.

ASTROLOGY

You may ask yourself why this sacred well is so important – besides being architecturally worth visiting. Well, the inclination of the staircase to the surface and the direction of the well’s opening are one of the greatest testimonies of the astrological knowledge acquired by the Nuragic civilization.

In fact, the relationship between the diameter and the depth of the well, as well as the aperture in the roof – the oculus – are based on lunar astrological geometry.

Scientists have discovered that the well could be used to observe the moon phases but also to predict lunar eclipses with an incredible precision – en error of a 20th of degree is hypothesized, i.e. almost complete mathematical perfection.

And all that by simply tracing the light of the moon on the different stone levels inside the well. Speaks volume about the level of accuracy in the design and construction of this well. Impressive, isn’t it?

info@pozzosantacristina.com | +39-347-774-6747 or +39-0785-55438 | PozzoSacroSantaCristina.com (great website, check it out)

Open year-round from 08:30 to dusk | Tickets: adults Euro 5,00 and children Euro 2,50

2 NATURAL MONUMENT – SU GOLOGONE

You won’t find any temple or sacred well at the spring of Su Gologone. However, you’ll find a sense of spirituality that is hard to define completely. It’s a little like walking in a natural sanctuary.

In fact, Su Gologone is so extraordinary that it has officially been recognised as a Natural Monument of Sardinia. If you love nature, go check out the Top 10 Natural Monuments in Sardinia

You may either opt for a short visit and go directly to the spring or visit the beautiful park all around.

THE SPRING

The spring itself has the shape of a long blue pool originating in a tall limestone rock at a depth of more than 135 meters.

If you visit in summer, you’ll find modest water flow, i.e. about 60 litres per second. On the contrary, in winter you may see water flowing at a rate of 8.000 litres per second. With a year-round average of 500 litres per second, Su Gologone is Sardinia’s most important water spring.

THE PARK

A few paths around the spring will take you exploring the surrounding area with its enchanting vegetation and landscape.

If you are feeling particularly adventurous, you can join in or reserve a kayaking tour or a trekking exploration with local guides.

BONUS

You’ll be a stone-throw away from one of Sardinia’s best restaurants and hotels, the world-wide renowned Hotel Su Gologone

lefonti@hotmail.it | +39-328-564-9983, +39-392-392-5165, +39-349-712-8571 | SuGologone.it | FacebookPage

Touching the water at the spring of Su Gologone

@jessbodor touches the water at Su Gologone

3 WATER TEMPLE – SU TEMPIESU

Are you curious about finding out what kind of building the Nuragic peoples designed to protect their sacred wells?

Actually, there’s only one of these buildings in the whole world left for you to see. It’s the Temple of Su Tempiesu a short car ride from the Sardinian village of Orune. A landslide covered the site and thus preserved the structure over centuries.

Imagine the surprise of archaeologists when they unearthed a 7-meters-tall temple with a pitched roof built with a stone that is nowhere to be found in the area.

ARCHITECTURAL MARVEL

The engineering genius is still evident in the architectural elements of this unique structure. Admire the perfectly cut stones placed skillfully to form triangular shapes without any use of any kind of cement. Consider also the use of two arches built out of a single stone block to better distribute the weight of the roof on the sidewalls – just incredible for those times.

All details were taken into account by the designers of this wonder, including the structure of small basins used to keep dirt out of the main well where freshwater is still flowing today, after 3.200 years. Oh yeah, go ahead and have a drink.

DIGGING DEEPER

All the small objects found here – jewellery, small bronze statues, and other offers by pilgrims – are viewable at the Archaeological Museum in Nuoro, including some of the 20 bronze swords that used to decorate the rooftop.

cooplarco@gmail.com | +39-328-756-5148 | SuTempiesu.it

Open daily from Monday through Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00 in Winter, and 19:00 in Summer.

Please consider a visiting time of at least 1 hour as you’ll have to walk through a small parc in order to visit the temple.

Tickets cost Euro 3,00 for adults, Euro 2,00 for children | The base camp has restrooms and a small snack bar

@tamara_sanna visiting the temple over the sacred well of Su Tempiesu

4 NURAGIC SAUNA – SA SEDDA E SOS CARROS

A trip to the Nuragic sanctuary of Sa Sedda e Son Carros is worth your time for a couple of reasons.

LANAITTU VALLEY

First, the Valley of Lanaittu – where the village is located – will make you speechless with its beauty. Imagine a valley kissed by the sun with lots of untouched Mediterranean vegetation surrounded by greyish and golden limestone mountains.

SA OCHE

Second, you’ll be at 200 metres from Sa Oche – “The Voice” in English. That’s a relatively small but impressive grotto that resonates with a terrifying sound after heavy rainfall. If you are lucky enough to visit on such an occasion, you’ll hear the echo of water falling on the rocky mountains all around and then forcefully erupting from its mouth like the growling sound of a Jurassic monster.

WATER SANCTUARY

And finally, you’ll be able to visit the Nuragic sanctuary with its unique building. It’s a round-shaped structure with seating along its curved bi-coloured walls, finished floor, and a central water basin carved out of a single block of stone. Mouflon-heads carved in stone decorate the water-pipes that used to bring water into the structure making it flow over the heads of the participants directly into the basin.

NURAGIC SAUNA

Many archaeologists argue that a cube-like stone container nearby – still visible – was used to burn wood and heat up rocks to be placed in the central basin. Therefore, the structure could be made to function like a proper sauna, 2.000 years B.C.

That’s probably the first-ever sauna in the whole of Europe.

BONUS – PALEOLITHIC CAVE

A few hundred metres from the Nuragic sanctuary you can explore the 310-meters-deep Corbeddu Cave, which takes its name from a Sardinian bandit that used to live here around the 1890s.

Archaeologists found a Phalanx bone dating to 20.000 years ago, the oldest evidence of homo sapiens in Sardinia. You can still see the area of the excavation that also brought to light bones of extinct animals such as the Megaloceros Cazioti and the Prolagus Sardus, a species only found in Sardinia.

+39-335-580-8844 | SaSeddaeSosCarros Facebook

Tickets cost Euro 5,00 for the sanctuary, Euro 2,00 for Sa Oche and Euro 3,50 for Corbeddu Cave

Ablution room at the water sanctuary Sa Sedda e Sos Carros, Sardinia

5 WATER AMPHITHEATER – SU ROMANZESU

AMAZING NURAGIC CITY

The impression you get when moving your first steps inside the site of Su Romanzesu is that of entering a great city. In fact, in ancient times this may as well have been one of the greatest Nuragic towns covering several hectares.

Founded about 1.600 B.C. it became a holy pilgrimage site in about 1.300 with people coming from as far as Spain and Egypt to bring their offerings – some of them impressive even for our modern standards like amber pearls, jewellery, and other precious artefacts.

You can get a glimpse of the grandeur of this town by walking through the remains of its main buildings, extraordinary for their size and complexity compared to other villages of the same time. Just don’t get lost in the labyrinthic path – used for purifying rituals – to one of its main elliptical-shaped buildings.

THE WATER AMPHITHEATRE

The main attraction of Su Romanzesu, however, is its sacred well. While not being as refined as the sacred spring of Su Tempiesu or the sacred well of Santa Caterina it will impress you for another reason.

In fact, the water from the sacred well flows into two large connected pools surrounded by rims of granite seatings organized on at least five levels. These form an amazing amphitheater-like structure – unique in its dimensions and form – where a large number of spectators could assist and take part in sacred rituals of purification, healing, and rebirth.

The whole site is enshrined in cork trees, so nowadays you can take a seat in the shadows in the amphitheatre, close your eyes and imagine how this place must have looked 3.000 years ago at night with burning torches and chants by pilgrims while rituals were taking places in the pools filled with sacred water.

coop.istelai@tiscali.it | +39-0784-414-314 or +39-333-321-1346 | SuRomanzesu.it

Open Monday through Sunday 09:00-13:00 and 15:00-19:00 (18:00 in winter) | Guided visits start about every 60-90 minutes | Tickets cost Euro 4,00 | You can combine this ticket with entry to the “Tenores” Singers’ Museum and the Shepherd’s Life Museum, both located 15 minutes by car in the small town of Bitti

6 NURAGIC AQUEDUCT – GREMANU

Gremanu is one of the largest Nuragic settlements in Sardinia, dating back to the Bronze Age (1.300-1.100 B.C.) and covering over 7 hectares of land.

Largely still to be excavated, you can find here all major elements of large Nuragic towns:

An area with the sacred wells used for purification rituals
The village with houses
The industrial area with huts devoted to the fusion of metals and the production of bronze manufacture
The cemetery, or rather the communal tombs called Tombe dei Giganti
A Sanctuary consisting of several buildings enclosed in a 70-meters-long wall

What sets apart this village from any other is the length and articulation of a well-designed system of water conducts connecting the sacred wells up high on the hill with the water sanctuary down valley close to the village.

In other words, this is the only example of a Nuragic aqueduct in Sardinia.

In fact, while all big Nuragic villages used grooves and channels to make water flow properly through them, here you will find a true water pipeline made of accurately finished blocks of stone. Just when you thought you had seen all Nuragic engineering projects already.

Gremanu.it | +39-0784-59131 | The best way to reach Gremanu is from Pratobello | Please note this site is currently abandoned

@fabrizio_bibi_pinna captures the water sanctuary of Gremanu

7 ROMAN BATHS – FORDONGIANUS

While the healing properties of hot water springing from the ground were known to prior civilizations, it was the Romans who made baths a staple in every Roman town.

You can now visit the ancient Roman baths of Forum Traiani built during the I century a.C.

Water coming from the hot-water springs next to the Tirso river still flows through a large panther’s head into the main pool.

Additional pools and structures were added by the Romans during the III century a.C. In fact, the town was used by the Romans as a way to introduce the peoples of Sardinia to the civilized way of living of the Romans, who had colonized the coastal areas.

Actually, the covered indoor pool and baths must have been quite astounding at that time.

SWIMMING IN THE TIRSO RIVER

While swimming in the Roman baths is prohibited, you can enjoy the hot water directly in the river as many locals do. Just beware, the water temperature of the hot springs is 56 degrees Celsius.

MODERN SPA HOTEL

Or you can opt for a short stay in the modern Hotel on the other side of the river.

info@forumtraiani.it | +39-0783-60157 | ForumTraiani.it

The visit to the Roman baths can be combined with the visit of an ancient Aragonese Villa of the XVI century now a beautiful museum.

Tickets cost Euro 4,00 for adults and Euro 2,00 for children fro both the Roman Baths and the Aragonese Villa.

Grand Hotel Terme Sardegna | WebSite | +39-0783-605-016 | 16.000 square meters of Spa and thermal pools

NEED A GUIDED TOUR?

You can visit all of the above locations on your own.

However, if you are inclined to a deeper connection, you may join one of the organized tours by Ilaria Montis.

She’s both an archaeologist with a PhD in Sciences and Technologies for Archaeology and a Mindfulness coach – i.e. she can connect you with the spiritual aspects of the ancient cult of water.

sardegnasacra@gmail.com | +39-320-849-2880 | SardegnaSacra.it