View The Amazing Giants Of Mont'e Prama On Holiday In Sardinia

Sardinia has been touched by all of the different civilisations and occupants that have made their home on this beautiful island and, as a result, it is dotted with stunning churches, incredible castles, ancient temples, pretty palaces, striking landmarks, and much more besides. However, if you have found a vacation rental in Sardinia and you are interested in her most intriguing historical gems, then you definitely need to pay a visit to the Giants of Mont'e Prama.

The Giants of Mont'e Prama are a series of massive, ancient stone sculptures that remain from the time of the Nuragic civilisation, which was a civilisation on Sardinia that lasted from the 18th century BCE (or during the Bronze Age) until the Roman colonisation of the island in 238 BCE (though some claim the civilisation actually lasted until the 2nd or, even, the 6th century AD). Named for the nuraghe, or tower-fortresses, that they built across the island, the Nuragic civilisation has left us no written records. What does remain, however, are some impressive monuments, including some 7,000 of the towers for which they were named and the fascinating Giants of Mont'e Prama, among other intriguing reminders.

Fragmented into numerous pieces, the Giants of Mont'e Prama were discovered on a farm near Mont'e Prama, in the comune of Cabras, province of Oristano, in central-western Sardinia in March 1974. Excavated in four campaigns between 1975 and 1979, around five thousand pieces of the sculptures, carved from locally-sourced sandstone, were discovered. Among the pieces found, there were some fifteen heads and twenty-two torsos. Much of the horde was stored in the repositories of the National Archaeological Museum of Cagliari, though the more important pieces were displayed in the museum itself. In 2005, however, the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and the Sardinia Region allocated funds for the restoration of the sculptural fragments, which took place between 2007 and 2012. Twenty-five reconstructed statues of warriors, archers, boxers, and models of nuraghe were then exhibited at special events from 2009 and some of which have had a permanent home on display to the public at the Civic Museum Giovanni Marongiu in Cabras and the National Archaeological Museum of Cagliari since November of 2011.

Excavations and restoration work continues to this day with the twenty-five reconstructed sculptures from the fragments of what it thought to have originally been around forty-four works originally. Depicting warrior figures, combative heroes of their time, the sculptures once stood as sentries that lined up in impressive ranks at a necropolis with many of the buried having been heroes and warriors themselves. Unique and striking-looking figures, there have been many debates by scholars over their appearances and the apparent potential influences of the styles of other places and civilisations on the works. Direct parallels from around the Mediterranean have been difficult to establish. What is clear, however, is that these sentries of the past are truly fascinating gems and are an absolute must-see for any history buffs who find themselves on vacation in Sardinia! Come and greet these noble fighters in the various museums in which they are on display today, learn more about the incredible Nuragic civilisation of Sardinia that produced them, visit the wonderful archaeological site from which they were excavated, and bring a bit of some Indiana Jones flare to your time in the area.

So, if you have been planning your next holiday and were already thinking about this gorgeous part of the world, these stunning and ancient sculptural works are just one more great reason to get browsing our villas in Sardinia and start planning a trip to this magnificent island in Italy today!