To the origins
From the Neolithic period, megalithic circles, dolmens and tombs dug directly into the rock have come down to us, which were called Domus de Jana... or House of the Witches! The Necropolis of Anghelu Ruju with its tens of rocky burial chambers is a beautiful example. The first fortified villages also make their appearance, but it is during the nuragic period that they will especially develop. This culture takes its name from the nuraghe, a high stone tower of conical shape. Inside, the building follows a circular plan whose main room, by which one reaches by a corridor, is covered with a dome. An interior spiral staircase allows access to the different floors. Real technical feat, the nuraghe is composed of stones of size sometimes cyclopean and yet assembled without any mortar. But the true characteristic of these nuraghes is that they are the most visible part of an extremely hierarchical system. The site of Su Nuraxi illustrates it very well. The main nuraghe is protected by an enclosure and angular towers. The research made it possible to show that this tower was the residence of a king-shepherd, itself surrounded of numerous circular huts sheltering the subjects of the king. The various population influxes enlarged the village and led to the construction of new bastions and protective enclosures. The site of Santa Cristina with its "round hut" with circular seats shows the sophistication of this society organized in councils to administer affairs. The site of Santu Antine shows, him, how much this work of the stone could be made fine and precise, as the trilobate bastion protecting the central tower proves it. In parallel, the nuragic culture saw the development of other types of structures of which the surprising temples with wells, linked to the veneration of the divinities of the water. The most beautiful is undoubtedly that of the Sanctuary of Santa Cristina. Surrounded by a sacred enclosure taking the shape of a lock or a female sex, it is composed of stones subtly cut according to geometric patterns, while inside we can admire a chamber topped by concentric rings creating the effect of a dome, and a staircase whose arrangement gives an aspect of inverted staircase. This site was also an astronomical observatory and tells us a lot about the knowledge in the matter of this people. Finally, the Nuraghic culture was also expressed through the "tombs of the giants", funerary chambers 20 to 30 m long, and 2 to 3 m high, originally covered with a tumulus resembling an overturned boat hull. On the outside, the "façade" of these burial chambers follows the shape of a semicircle of stones, in the center of which is a monumental stele in which a small entrance is pierced, itself closed by a large block of stone. The shape of these monuments unequivocally recalls a bull's head, a divinity common to the entire Middle East and the ancient West. Sa Ena'e Thomes and Coddu Vecchiu are among the most impressive tombs. As far as sculpture is concerned, this people has left us beautiful statuettes representing fighters, ships, goddesses... But we cannot forget to mention the magnificent statues called I Giganti di Monte Prama discovered in 1974 in a field. By themselves, they represent a level of abstraction and artistic perfection unknown in Western Europe at the same time.
From the Phoenicians to the Byzantines
Phoenicians and Carthaginians have durably modified the face of the island, creating ports and trading posts along its steep coasts and building the first road networks. Among the most beautiful Punic sites, don't miss the Necropolis of Tuvixeddu with its numerous tombs dug in the limestone rock and reaching up to 7m deep. Nora, an ancient Punic city, has an astonishing example of a tophet, a sanctuary where sacrifices were made in honor of the goddess Tanit - there is also a temple dedicated to her. The Romans were pragmatic and set about continuing the development of the road network, while at the same time developing ingenious water architecture, as evidenced by the remains of the site of Tharros, including thermal baths and a castellum aquae or reservoir connected to the city's aqueduct. The Romans also became masters of urban planning by establishing their cities according to geometrical plans structured by large avenues, such as the Cardo Maximus at the site of Tharros. These cities are home to buildings that symbolize the different powers (religious, political, cultural...) and it is in Cagliarithat you can see the most beautiful witnesses. The city is overhung by a magnificent amphitheater whose cavea (terraces) has been largely preserved. You can also see the remains of temples and tombs, without forgetting those of the Villa of Tigellius, very beautiful example of urban architecture, the complex including three domus with atriums with rich colonnades. The site of Nora is also a must to discover the architecture of ancient Rome. It is under the domination of Rome that the first Christian cults develop before taking their full rise under the domination of Byzantium. Religious buildings multiplied following the plans of the famous Basilica of Saint Sophia. The Basilica of San Saturnino, built in the5th and 6th centuries and originally composed according to a Greek cross plan with a dome, is a good example. The Byzantines are also the creators of the first great fortresses of the island, in Austis, Armungia and Nuragus in particular.
Medieval effervescence
From the XI century, the Romanesque spreads widely in Sardinia thanks to the presence of numerous monastic orders. Coming from the four corners of Europe, these last ones are going to tint the Romanesque of Provençal, Burgundian or Rhenish influences, but the most prevailing influence is of course the one of Pisa, city-state under whose authority is then Sardinia. The Pisan Romanesque is characterized by a very decorative style, a polychrome marble and mosaics, the use of geometric shapes such as the diamond, facades of galleries with superimposed colonnades and porticos with arcades, all in a constant search for formal purity. This style will be adapted to the local "sensitivity", each village expressing its identity through its architecture. Among the most beautiful Romanesque churches are the Santissima Trinita (Saccargia), with its superb polychromy of light limestone and dark basalt stone and its capitals decorated with bas-reliefs; Sant'Antioco di Bisarcio (Ozieri) with its alternation of black and red stones creating a polychromy with geometric effects, its arcade decorated with a rose window and its apse decorated with rhombuses; or San Gavino (Porto Torres), one of the largest and oldest Romanesque churches on the island. Determined to defend their presence on this strategic island, the Pisans multiplied the fortifications around the large urban centers, like those of Cagliari. Of the four original towers, only the tower of San Pancrazio and above all the Elephant Tower remain, so called because a marble elephant is placed on a console at a height of almost 10 meters! Under the Aragonese domination, Sardinia is going to see multiplying the buildings of Catalan Gothic style which is characterized by buildings playing more on the width than on the height, developing stretched vaults of a great beauty. With a simple plan, most often with a single nave, Catalan Gothic churches often have buttresses between which side chapels are built. In general, the volumes are compact and of great formal clarity. The Basilica of Nuestra Señora de Bonaria is one of the most beautiful examples of this style. Note its beautiful polygonal apse and its side chapels with ribbed vaults. To feel the Aragonese rhythm, you have to go to Alghero with its superb cathedral whose dome overlooks the walls and its church of San Francesco whose bell tower and cloister with its beautiful ornamentation are particularly admired. In the streets of the city, you will also notice some beautiful patrician houses dating from this period, recognizable by their central courtyard accessible through a very elaborate portal, and by the second floor which is distinguished by its rich decoration on the facade, especially through galleries and arcades. At the same time, the Aragonese built numerous castles and fortifications. Watchtowers lined the coasts, while powerful fortresses protected isolated villages. Among the remains of the great castles not to be missed: Sanluri, one of the best preserved, Monreale with its 8-tower wall, Acquafredda, perched 256 m high, and Serravalle, originally from the 12th century, but rebuilt in the 16th century.
From neoclassicism to eclecticism
Under the kingdoms of Savoy and Italy, Sardinia was adorned with the finery of neoclassicism, which was used both for the construction of new buildings and for the restoration of old ones, especially churches, like the church of San Giacomo in Cagliari, a Catalan Gothic sanctuary with a facade full of classical rigor. The whole city was transformed at the end of the 19th century. A large part of the city walls was razed to the ground to allow the middle-class neighborhoods to develop along new main streets such as Via Roma. In the historical district of Castello, terraces were built on the old fortifications. The old bastions are thus equipped with facades with pediments and colonnades that look like triumphal arches opening onto monumental staircases. The city of Sassari also has many examples of neoclassical style such as the Municipal Theater with its interior inspired by an ancient amphitheater or the church of San Giuseppe and its beautiful facade with columns resting on imposing pedestals. At the turn of the century, Sardinia will be endowed with buildings operating a rather surprising synthesis between historicizing eclecticism and Art Nouveau decoration, called Liberty in Italy. In Cagliari, the Palazzo Civico is a beautiful example of Catalan neo-Gothic (arches, towers), enhanced by bronzes and mosaics with typical Liberty motifs. On Via Roma, you will find many other examples of this mixture of genres. Don't miss the Palazzo Balletto with its three series of superimposed bow windows, its polychromatic play between the granite base, the brick facing and the stone frames, and its decorative plant motifs.
Rural and mining heritage
In the Sardinian plains, the land is everywhere criss-crossed with dry stone walls (a technique that consists in assembling stones without mortar) and shelters a small heritage that should not be missed, such as the shepherd's huts, most often circular in plan, set on a stone base, and with a conical roof of wood or thatch. Inside, a whitewashed chimney illuminates a rudimentary furniture. These huts often communicate with the nearby sheepfold via a thin partition. The corrals or enclosures complete the ensemble. In parallel, you can also observe traditional houses, rather modest in the north and more elaborate in the south. The former have only an interior space largely occupied by the hearth, while the latter are organized around several courtyards and sometimes have a loggia or covered gallery serving the different rooms of the house. Many of these rural farms have now been converted to agrotourism and welcome visitors in a resolutely rural setting! Less picturesque, but just as fascinating, the island's mining heritage is a must-see. Many sites have been grouped together to form the Historical and Environmental Geomineral Park of Sardinia, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Among the sites not to be missed is the amazing ghost village of Ingurtosu with the neo-Gothic "Castle of the Management"; or the superb Mine of Nebida located on a rocky promontory with a view of the sea, where you can admire the Lamarmora laundry with its four superimposed volumes decorated with arches, the administrative offices with their crenellated cornices and arched windows, and a whole set of buildings for miners (houses, school, hospital...), without forgetting the technical heritage with the construction of a new mine), without forgetting the technical heritage with headframes, shafts and galleries. It was to glorify these mining resources that Mussolini had the town of Carbonia built in the 1930s. Designed according to the codes of Fascism, Carbonia was an ideal city, adopting a star-shaped plan with wide avenues and organized around a central square containing the church, the podestate palace (medieval terminology used by the Fascists to designate the governor) and the House of Fascism. Intended to house the miners, the city was made up of low and spaced volumes that could extend to infinity. A complex past but revealing of the importance of the mine in the history of Sardinia.
Contemporary Sardinia
Sardinia was not spared by the ravages of the war. This was followed by a period of reconstruction without any real overall plan, seeing the accumulation of concrete constructions without soul. This phenomenon was reinforced by the development of tourism in the 1960s with the appearance of marinas, hotels and luxury residences, especially on the very popular Costa Smeralda. However, don't be fooled by the general view and take a closer look. There you will discover the achievements of Jacques Couëlle. This self-taught architect is one of the pioneers of sculpture-architecture designed to blend harmoniously into its environment. Staggered houses following the uneven relief, vegetated terraces and large openings characterize his landscape houses. The Villa Monte Mano is a good example, as is the Hotel Cala Di Volpe, on which he worked with his son Savin Couëlle, who still builds superb villas in the tradition of his father's landscape houses. The Villa Sirea in Porto Cervo is a good example. The great Milanese architect Cini Boeri, also a follower of an architecture that respects its environment, created the Villa Rotonda, a superb circular house whose curves are emphasized by the whiteness of the concrete; the Casa Bunker, whose anthracite gray responds to the surrounding rocky relief; or the very functional and personal Villa Sbandata. Other villas with clean lines, simple volumes and sober decoration continue to be built, such as Stefania Sera's Villa Grintosa, whose various flat spaces follow the topography of the place. At the same time, Sardinia continues to preserve its historical heritage, which is its pride!
