The Santuario nuragico di Santa Cristina is an archaeological site located in the municipality of Paulilatino, in the province of Oristano. The site is primarily known for its well temple, a sacred well dating back to the nuragic age. The construction of the sacred well can be placed around the 11th century BC.
A staircase descends into the sacred well, which is part of a complex that includes a meeting hut, an enclosure, and smaller huts. According to some theories, the sanctuary could have been a place for astronomical observation and analysis. During the so-called "greater lunar standstill", the moon reflects on the bottom of the well, illuminating it. During the equinoxes, solar rays enter the staircase of the well directly at noon, illuminating the water below.
Surrounded by the remains of a nuragic village and a single-tower nuraghe, the well is also adjacent to a devotional area. This area includes a country church of Santa Cristina and a novenario of 36 small dwellings called muristenes or cumbessias, built starting from the 18th century. These structures served as a place where the faithful gathered for prayer in the days leading up to the feast of Santa Cristina.
Sources: Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, Wikipedia
Written by Sardinian
Discuss this with the author and others
No comments yet. Be the first to start the conversation.