Sanctuary of S. Vittoria


	The shaft temples in nuragic civilisation

	The shaft temples of Nuragic civilisation (belonging to the last Bronze age, between the end of the XII and the beginning of the IX century B.C.) are round tholos structures (false dome) built in a hypogeal form to intercept the water bed. Due to fluctuations in the level of the water bed, ramps of splayed rectilinear or trapezoidal steps were built to collect the water even in periods of drought. The staircase was covered with graduated architraved elements placed in correspondence with the steps. At the top of the stairs is always an atrium prevalently of rectangular or trapezoidal shape with benches on the sides that could have been used to place objects and votive offerings, "bronze statuettes" representing persons with a cloak and staff, warriors, offerers, and female figures, as well as long votive swords, small daggers and quivers (used as apotropaic amulets), and many animals. The temple was surrounded by an enclosure (temenos) limiting the sacred area reserved for the faithful who deposited the votive offerings during the rites.

	The Nuragic Sanctuary of Santa Vittoria The Nuragic Sanctuary of Santa Vittoria is located in the south-western corner of the Giara di Serri plateau on an area of over three and a half hectares: 266 m long in the NW - SE direction and 135 m wide in the NNE - SSW direction. The history of the Sanctuary dates back to 1909 - 1910 when Antonio Taramelli, then Superintendent of Antiquities in Sardinia, started excavations with the collaboration of the Inspector Filippo Nissardi and Raffaele Pettezzoni of the Rome Prehistorical Museum. During these excavations, the enclosing walls of the Sanctuary with a tower with loopholes, the shaft temple, and the meeting hut were brought to light.


	In subsequent excavation campaigns in the years 1919 - 1920, the so-called hypaethral temple was discovered with its adjoining buildings and a great number of votive bronze objects were found. The excavations continued between 1922 and 1929 when the Chief's dwelling, the Festive enclosure, the group of buildings at E-SE, and the Enclosure of the double baetylus were discovered.



	In 1963 Prof. Ettore Contu, Superintendent of Antiquities of the Provinces of Sassari and Nuoro conducted the restoration works of the Festive enclosure, the shaft temple, and the hypaethral temple, recovering several Nuragic pottery items (collar vases and large wide-rimmed vases). Recently, a new campaign of excavations was started by the Superintendency of the Archaeological Heritage of the Provinces of Sassari and Nuoro. The buildings, about twenty in number, are arranged without any apparent order, and divided into four isolated groups: the shaft temple group, the large porticoed enclosure group, the group of the "double baetylus" enclosure, and the south-east group. There are also some isolated structures: the hut with a rectangular vestibule, the Hut of federal meetings located at the periphery of the sanctuary for the princes' secret undisturbed meetings, and other huts.

	*References*

	Fadda M.A., Su Tempiesu di Orune, il culto nuragico delle acque, Archeologia Viva, n. 74 Lilliu G., La civiltà dei Sardi, dal Paleolitico all'età dei nuraghi, Nuova Eri Editrice. Zucca R., Il santuario nuragico di Santa Vittoria di Serri, Sardegna Archeologica, Carlo Delfino Editore.