The well temple is the highest architectural expression of the Nuraghic civilization dating back to around 3000 years ago. However, it seems to be built today with its square boulders perfectly embedded with perfect geometry. Located near Paulilatino, it is the most representative sacred well of the island where stories, legends and truths are intertwined.
The silence of time that tells legends of a distant people and precise calendars.
The most representative and best preserved nuragic well temple in Sardinia.
It is the highest architectural expression of a civilization, the Nuragic one, dating back to 3,500 years ago.
The monument is oriented from north-Northwest to south-Southeast and is composed of three separate parts accurately chiselled: vestibule or atrium, stairwell and tholos hypogeum chamber. The two external perimeters do not present any manufacturing and are made with stones and mud. The vestibule is the part in front of the stairway where the votive offerings for the deity were placed. The stairwell, in addition to allowing access to the hypogeum chamber and to play an important aesthetic function, allowed to reach the water which had a non-constant level in the various periods of the year.
The tholos chamber or false dome, about 2.5 meters wide, fits perfectly with the trapezoidal shape of the stairwell and is composed of ashlars forming concentric circles; the latter shrink as you proceed towards the top of the chamber, which ends with a circular light of 35 cm and a height of 7 m. Currently the water has a constant level of 50 centimetres, as consequence of the construction of a drainage channel built during the excavation campaign to allow the visit inside the structure every day of the year. The outer part of the temple differs from the inner part due to a less attention to detail. However, the artistic component is not lacking. From the top you can admire a remarkable fence in the shape of a keyhole that serves as a frame and has stone seats on the inside. The exterior, elliptical in shape, measures 26 x 20 m and encloses the entire structure. The sacred well, while presenting characteristics similar to those of the other specimens present on the island, stands out for its considerable size, excellent condition, but above all for the highly refined construction technique.
Astronomical events
In September from 21st to 23rd at 12.00 and in March from 18th to 21st at 11.00 on the occasion of the equinoxes the sun perfectly lights up the bottom of the well through the stairwell.
The sun, with its rays, is reflected inside the well until it touches the water. In this circumstance the observer, while descending
the last 6 internal steps, is accompanied by two shadows:one is projected into the water, the other descends from the tholos chamber upside down. The phenomenon, obviously, arouses much wonder in those who live it.
Every 18.6 years, during the period of greater lunistice, the moonlight reaches the mirror of water reflecting perpendicularly through the hole of about 30 cm of the tholos room. Theories established since 1972 by intuition of Carlo Maxia and Lello Fadda with the support of the astronomer Edoardo Proverbio. Theories that in 2005 bring to Sardinia Professor Arnold Lebeuf author of the book “Il pozzo di Santa Cristina a lunar observatory ” in 2011, after 5 years of study.
Magic, Mistery, Energy
Faith, Sacredness, Legends
Charm, History, Culture
Archeotour Soc. Coop. - PI: 00569110950
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Il Piano è stato realizzato con il contributo della Regione Autonoma della Sardegna e del POR FESR 2014 – 2020.
