Tancas Abertas

The Nuraghe Santu Antine of Torralba (15th century BC), the monumental fulcrum of the Valley of the Nuraghi, represents the highest synthesis of Nuragic architecture. A cornerstone of the entire settlement system in the area, it stands out for its majesty and constructive refinement.

At its feet extends a Nuragic village, which has only partly been excavated. The huts were renovated in Roman times, starting from the 2nd century BC; after a brief abandonment (mid 1st century BC), a rustic villa was built on the south side of the village.

The virtual reconstruction of the site shows a plan in an equilateral triangle, with the central tower - the Keep - in the middle, once over 25 meters high. At the vertices, three lateral towers rise, equidistant from each other by about 42 meters. The wall, with horizontal rows, draws a curvilinear profile.

Inside, there are long corridors, spiral staircases, upper rooms, wells and silos. The geometric balance and regularity of the measurements suggest a unified plan, designed to create large internal spaces.

The Keep overlooks a courtyard with seven monumental symmetrical entrances, leading to the various parts of the complex, on several levels. At the ends of the courtyard are the entrances to the East and West towers, connected to the North tower through long corridors.

From the ground floor, through a spiral staircase, you can access the upper chamber of the Keep, also covered by a tholos vault, following the same geometric scheme of the lower floor. The Central Tower was the only one to have a third level, today only partially visible.

The artifacts found during the excavation campaigns are preserved and exhibited at the Museum of the Valley of the Nuraghi of Logudoro-Meilogu, located in the town center of Torralba, at 143 Carlo Felice Street.