Complesso archeologico di S'Arcu 'e Is Forros

About the museum

S'Arcu 'e Is Forros lies at the gateway to Ogliastra, along the road that links it to Barbagia, in a mountain landscape of great charm. It is a large Nuragic village-sanctuary and was an important centre for the communities of the region. About three thousand years ago, on an earlier settlement, the Nuragic builders erected two large megaron temples, with a rectangular plan unusual for Nuragic architecture, where cults were practised that drew many people to festivals and anniversaries.

Temple A, the first to be excavated, is among the most monumental on the island and was probably linked to a water cult; numerous stone votive bases and bronze objects offered to the deity were found there. More recent excavations have uncovered Temple B, with an altar of blocks of basalt and red sandstone that creates a refined two-tone effect, two faces carved in low relief, and a hearth decorated with a frieze reproducing the battlements of a Nuragic tower.

The temples are set within a village that is partly excavated. A structure with no parallels in Sardinia has been identified, interpreted as a furnace for smelting metals, together with numerous rooms linked to metalworking. For this reason the site is today considered the most important metallurgical centre of Nuragic Sardinia. The finds point to intensive trade between the island, the Levant and the Italian mainland. The guided visit lasts about an hour and a quarter; the site is run by Archeonova together with the nearby site of Sa Carcaredda.

Highlights

• Two megaron temples, among the most monumental in Nuragic Sardinia
• Altar of Temple B in basalt and red sandstone, with two faces in low relief
• Smelting furnace and metalworking workshops
• Village-sanctuary in a mountain landscape between Ogliastra and Barbagia
• Guided visit of about an hour and a quarter

Permanent exhibition

• Villaggio-santuario nuragico di S'Arcu 'e Is Forros – Guided visit to the two megaron temples, the village and the metalworking workshops.

Operated by

Archeonova s.r.l. (Comune di Villagrande Strisaili)

Visitors per year

approx. 1,500

Admission & discounts

The ticket includes the escort and the guided tour. The Sa Carcaredda site is open by reservation only.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Archeonova organises educational workshops for schools and families.

Getting there & parking

The complex lies along the state road 389 var di Buddusò e del Correboi, at km 41.2, on the road linking Ogliastra to Barbagia.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit