Santuario di Gremanu

The nuragic sanctuary of Gremanu lies in oak woodland in the Pratobello valley below the Gennargentu. Its archaeological complex includes a water system, three temples and a settlement; the nearby tombs of Madau extend the landscape into a funerary setting.

Why it matters

Gremanu is notable for its nuragic-age aqueduct, the only one yet identified in Sardinia. A spring was captured and its water conveyed through channels toward the sanctuary and settlement. The complex shows how water, ritual and daily life were connected in a high-mountain community.

What to notice

At the upper part of the site, a semicircular wall encloses the springs. Nearby, a rectangular basin built from T-shaped basalt blocks has been interpreted as a place for ritual ablutions. A canal led toward a well and the lower cult area, enclosed by a long rectangular precinct. Within it are three different temple forms: a circular building, a megaron temple and an apsed temple. Drilled stone bases may have supported bronze votive objects.

Context and history

The sanctuary developed over a Middle Bronze Age settlement. Its temples belong mainly to the Recent Bronze Age, especially the thirteenth and twelfth centuries BC, while finds extend into the ninth century. Archaeological excavations directed by Maria Ausilia Fadda ran from 1989 into the late 1990s. The nearby necropolis of Madau contains four Giants' tombs arranged in an amphitheatre-like group; they were excavated by Giovanni Lilliu between 1982 and 1986. The stele there has been interpreted by some as depicting the Pleiades, though this reading remains an interpretation.