Su Mulinu

Nuraghe Su Mulinu is an archaeological site located in the territory of Villanovafranca, in the province of South Sardinia, Italy. Dating back to 1800 BC, the site is a rare and significant example of a Nuragic complex that combines a corridor nuraghe, or protonuraghe, with later false dome towers, known as tholos. Its historical importance is underscored by continuous or recurring human occupation spanning the Nuragic, Punic, Roman, and medieval eras. The site is part of a group of 31 Sardinian Nuragic sites that have been nominated for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

The site's construction began around 1800 BC during the early phases of the Nuragic culture. The visible complex results from multiple construction and expansion phases. The original structure was a protonuraghe built during the Middle Bronze Age, featuring long corridors and elliptical chambers. This was later incorporated into a trilobed bastion with a concavo-convex profile. During the Recent and Final Bronze Age (14th to 12th centuries BC), the bastion was partially remodeled and enlarged with the addition of at least one tower to the north, while earlier multiple entrances were blocked in favor of a single southwestern entrance. An antemural wall with four towers was also added, creating a fortified court. By the end of the Final Bronze Age, the nuraghe was partially dismantled, and a village with a strong cultic vocation was established on the site. Occupation continued, with a brief interruption during the early Carthaginian period, through the Punic, Roman, and into the Judicale, or medieval, eras, with use declining from the 7th century and ending by the 4th century BC for the original Nuragic purposes. Archaeologist Giovanni Ugas has excavated the site on multiple occasions since 1983.

The archaeological collection associated with the site is housed in the Museo archeologico Su Mulinu. It encompasses artifacts and structural remains that document the extensive chronological sequence of the site, from the early Nuragic period through the Punic, Roman, and medieval periods. The scope emphasizes the architectural evolution of the Nuragic complex and the transition of the site from a purely defensive fortress to a significant cultic and ritual center during the early Iron Age, as evidenced by the religious installations and votive offerings discovered within the bastion.

The most significant discovery at the site is the only known example of a Nuragic altar from the early Iron Age (late 10th to early 8th century BC, or 950 to 750 BC). Found inside one of the elliptical spaces of the bastion, which was renovated to accommodate it, the sandstone altar reproduces the appearance of a Nuragic fortress complete with curtain walls, projecting towers, and a parapet with corbels. The altar features a lustral basin surmounted by a smaller vasque with an outflow channel. Its edges were adorned with bronze votive objects, and a lunar crescent motif is sculpted in relief on the wall, representing the moon goddess. The altar space also included a bench-seat and two ritual hearths.

The nuraghe is situated less than a kilometer from the village of Villanovafranca, on a ridge or hill overlooking the Flumini Mannu river valley (also referred to as Riu Mannu or Riu Sa Canna). The complex is classified as a complex nuraghe, surrounded by an antemural zone and a vast village of huts. Its architecture represents a rare combination of a corridor nuraghe and a tholos nuraghe, a mix otherwise only found at the Nuraghe S'Ulivera near Silanus. The initial protonuraghe contained at least two large elliptical cells covered in steps, connected by corridors with angular covers. Subsequent phases added a multi-storied triangular bastion with round towers, elliptical courtyards arranged around a central tower, and a large tower on the north side with a diameter of 9.30 meters. The upper sections of the building received imposing modifications, including the creation of a crowning on the corner towers with corbels.

Nuraghe Su Mulinu is located in the Marmilla region of South Sardinia, within the territory of the comune of Villanovafranca. The site and its associated museum, the Museo archeologico Su Mulinu, are managed by the local municipality. Information and access details are available through the official comune website.