start: 9.00 AM - 3.00 PM
duration: 5 h
meeting point: Cagliari, Piazza Yenne (in front of the obelisk)
*Pickup from your Cagliari based Hotel and or Cagliari Port cruise ship terminal
End location: Return to your original pick up location
Barumini is situated at the foot of the Gesturi Giara (plateau) in the River Mannu valley right in the Marmilla area (70 km north of Cagliari). It is world famous for the presence of the monumental complex of “Su Nuraxi”, which has become one of UNESCO’s protected World Heritage Monuments.
Barumini has very ancient origins clearly demonstrated by the presence of the “Su Nuraxi” Nuragic complex, situated instead at the entrance to the village, represents one of the major expressions of Sardinian Megalithic civilisation.
The excavations which were carried out by the famous archaeologist, Giovanni Lilliu from 1951 onwards, have brought to light anenormous monument dating back to the II millennium BC. Barumini was also inhabited during the Roman period as can be seen from the numerous traces of defensive walls.
In 1541 Barumini became part of the Las Plassas barony, granted as a concession to the Zapata family. At Palazzo Zapata essentially a post medieval place built onto a prehistoric Sardinian ruin which was then excavated and the whole place turned into a museum. This is multi-tiered so the visitor walks around the levels of the archaeology and you can look down into the monumental past. There is a small exhibits of pottery and metal-ware and an ethnographic museum.
The Giara di Gesturi, (Sardinian: “Sa Jara Manna”), is a high and steep-sided basaltic plateau at 500–600 meters above sea level which extends for about 42 km2 (16 sq mi) and it is home to over 350 plant species, notably the Cork oak, and to the majority of the surviving population of the Giara Horse: wild ponies have run free on the Giara plateau from time immemorial. They are the last surviving horses of a breed which used to populate the entire island. Due to its natural isolation, the Giara of Gesturi has been able to offer these ponies protection in a natural habitat with ideal conditions which have preserved their unique characteristics.