nuraghe Genna Maria

Nuraghe Genna Maria is a Nuragic complex located in Villanovaforru, South Sardinia, dating back to the Final Bronze Age. The Nuragic civilization, which lasted in Sardinia from approximately 1800 BCE to 238 BCE, is known for its stone towers called "nuraghi". These structures served various functions, including defensive, residential, and ritual purposes. Genna Maria, like many nuraghi, was strategically built on a hilltop, providing a vantage point over the surrounding landscape. Nuragic settlement is roughly 5000 square metres in size. Built around a central tower (mastio) that dates to between 1700 and 1350 B.C., the Nuraghe is thought to be roughly 10 m high. It is surrounded by a three-lobed (originally four-lobed) bastion and preceded by a courtyard with a well or cistern. From the east tower to the north-west one, it has undergone partial renovation. A hexagonal ante-mural with towers at the apexes and a southern entrance encircles the Nuraghe.