Area archeologica di Antas

About the museum

The Antas valley, at the foot of the limestone bastion of Punta Conca S’Omu in the territory of Fluminimaggiore, was a place of worship already in the Nuragic period, around the 9th century BC. At the end of the Iron Age the Carthaginians settled there and dedicated the sanctuary to the god Sid Addir; after the Roman conquest in the mid-3rd century BC the deity was identified with the Sardinian god Sardus Pater Babai.

The temple visible today was built in Roman times at the behest of Augustus and restored under Caracalla between 213 and 217 AD, as recorded by the inscription on the pediment. The pronaos has columns about eight metres high with Ionic capitals. Beneath the building lie the remains of an older Carthaginian place of worship, dating to around 500 BC. General Alberto La Marmora discovered the monument in 1836, and the temple was restored and largely rebuilt in 1967.

The area also includes a small settlement and a burial area. A path through the holm oak wood leads to the Roman quarries from which the limestone blocks were extracted, while nearby is the Su Mannau cave, linked to the cult of water. The area's rich lead and iron deposits suggest that the valley was home to the Roman mining town of Metalla.

Highlights

• Punic-Roman temple of Sardus Pater Babai
• Pronaos with Ionic columns about eight metres high
• Remains of the Carthaginian sanctuary beneath the temple
• Path through the holm oak wood to the Roman quarries
• Tactile panel with text in Braille

Permanent exhibition

• Tempio punico-romano e valle di Antas – Visit to the temple of Sardus Pater, the remains of the Carthaginian sanctuary beneath it and the path to the Roman quarries.

Operated by

START-UNO (gestione del sito)

Admission & discounts

Guided tours in Sardinian or other languages take place by reservation, at a rate of €120 to €150 depending on the number of participants. Tickets can also be purchased online.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The Punic-Roman temple can be reached with wheelchairs and pushchairs, whereas the trekking paths cannot. A tactile bas-relief panel, with high-contrast text and Braille, is designed for blind and visually impaired visitors. Entry with animals is permitted.

Kids & families

• Stroller-friendly

Guided tours in Italian are free for children up to 13; the site is accessible with pushchairs (trekking paths excluded).

Getting there & parking

The temple is about ten kilometres from Fluminimaggiore and a little over half an hour's drive from Iglesias.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Parking area with a snack kiosk, ticket office and bookshop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit