Nuragic sanctuary of Santa Vittoria, Archaeological park and museum in Serri, Italy
The Nuragic sanctuary of Santa Vittoria is an open-air archaeological site on the basalt plateau of the Giara di Serri, in central Sardinia. The complex includes several temple buildings, a sacred well, and offering areas, all built with carefully cut basalt and limestone blocks.
The sanctuary was founded during the Nuragic period, likely in the second millennium BC, and was later used by Punic, Roman, and Byzantine communities. The first scientific excavations in the early 1900s uncovered the overlapping layers left by these successive groups.
The sacred well at the heart of the sanctuary was the center of rituals for the Nuragic people, who saw water as a divine force. The stone-lined basin and the steps leading down to the water are still visible today, giving a clear sense of how the space was used.
The site is reached by a well-marked road from Serri, and the paths between the excavation areas are clearly signed. As most of the areas are open to the sky, sturdy footwear and sun protection are strongly advised.
Among the finds were hundreds of small bronze figurines showing ordinary people such as craftspeople and warriors, not only gods or rulers. These objects suggest that the sanctuary was open to people from many different walks of life, not just a priestly or ruling class.
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