Chia Trip Overview
The Montessu necropolis, located in a natural trachyte amphitheatre, is the most imposing and extensive necropolis of domus de janas (rock-hewn chamber tombs) in southern Sardinia. Discover this site with a guide.
Additional Info
Duration: 4 to 5 hours
Starts: Chia, Italy
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Archaeology Tours
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What to Expect When Visiting Chia, Sardegna, Italy
The Montessu necropolis, located in a natural trachyte amphitheatre, is the most imposing and extensive necropolis of domus de janas (rock-hewn chamber tombs) in southern Sardinia. Discover this site with a guide.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Necropoli di Montessu, loc. Montessu, 09010 Villaperuccio, Sardinia Italy
Enjoy a complimentary hotel pickup/drop-off (only for Chia and Domus de Maria area, the service outside of Domus de Maria will have an extra cost, depending on where you are staying).
You will go through the wonderful panoramic Chia-Teulada road, already travelled by the ancient Romans and Carthaginian population, passing through little towns like Teulada, Santadi e Villaperuccio. The transfer to the archaeological site takes around 80 minutes.
You will visit this prehistorical ancient necropolis of about 2 km of extension. The site is made up of two areas: the first one includes the ancient graves called “Domus de Janas” (fairies houses), while the second one is called “Su Congianu”.
There are more than 40 tombs, of various shapes and sizes. Two of the domus are especially important as they contain Neolithic religious symbols. One has a bull symbol sculpted on the entrance wall, as well as other symbols including the eyes and breasts of the Goddess Mother and a false door representing the passage to the other world. The other tomb has horns of various shapes, referring to the cult of the bull-god, sculpted into the ceiling and on the step leading to the entrance of the domus. The pottery found during excavations bears witness to the long use of the necropolis, in the Final Neolithic and the Recent Aeneolithic up to the Early Bronze Age.
Your local guide will be keen to make the tour as personal as possible. He will assist you with his expertise and recall interesting anecdotes for you before driving you back to your hotel.
Duration: 4 hours
