Nuraghe Santu Antine

Nuraghe Santu Antine, also known as Sa Domu de su Re (“the king’s house”), is a basalt complex near Torralba. Its trilobed bastion surrounds a central tower, and an excavated village extends around the monument.

Why it matters

Santu Antine preserves several phases of Nuragic architecture and settlement. The complex combines a central tower, a three-towered bastion and a village whose remains include circular huts and a meeting structure. A museum in Torralba houses finds from the archaeological area.

What to notice

The central tower still stands about 17.5 metres high and contains a tholos-vaulted chamber. An annular corridor around the chamber is lit by nine openings. The triangular bastion encloses a courtyard with a well and connects three towers through corridors and stairways. The excavated village includes circular huts with benches, hearths and storage niches, as well as rectangular buildings from a later Roman-era phase.

Context and history

The complex developed between the Middle Bronze Age and Iron Age, from the sixteenth to the ninth centuries BC. The central tower was built first, followed by the trilobed bastion and the surrounding village. Fourteen circular huts have been documented, including a capanna delle riunioni, or meeting hut. Later rectangular structures record Roman-era reoccupation. Bronze ingots known as pani were found near the western tower; they are now held at the Museo Sanna in Sassari. The excavation and restoration history began with Antonio Taramelli’s investigations in 1933 and continued through the twentieth century.