A Guide To Nuraghe La Prisgiona: 7 Best Things To Know

Nuraghe are a testimony of the ancient population that lived in Sardinia, known as the Nuragic civilization. These people survived pretty much until the arrival of the Roman Empire.

The word “nuraghe” means “mount of stones,” and it perfectly depicts these particular stone structures that can be found only in Sardinia.

Nuraghe la Prisgiona, also known as “The Stone Giant,” is one of the finest examples of Nuragic architecture in northern Sardinia. You really don’t want to miss this archaeological site, especially if you are planning a trip to the Gallura Region of Northeastern Sardinia.

La Prisgiona is located close to Arzachena, so it’s an easy place to visit if you are staying there and in the nearby Cannigione, Porto Cervo and other beach hamlets in the area.

I have visited many nuraghe in Sardinia, including Nuraghe Prisgiona of course, and I am about to tell you everything you need to know about this archeological marvel and how to plan your visit.

To know more about nuraghe in general, you can read my post A Guide To Nuraghe In Sardinia. Otherwise, continue reading if you want more information on Nuraghe la Prisgiona.

Table of Contents

History And Architecture Of Nuraghe La Prisgiona

Excavation of Prisgiona Nuraghe

Located in a natural reserve near the town of Arzachena, the Nuraghe la Prisgiona was part of a larger city of the ancient Nuragic civilization. It was inhabited from the 14th century BC until the Roman colonization in the 9th century BC.

The site underwent a lot of research and excavation and it was finally open to the public only in 2009. Excavations that started later on in 2008 suggested that Romans used the complex for some time too. It was also used in the medieval age for various purposes.

After a five-year hiatus, the excavation resumed in 2013, focusing on the huts in the village in order to find out more about the political and social structure of the people living in the Nuraghe Prisgiona area, and to have a deeper insight on the Nuragic civilization in general.

Many artifacts where discovered at the bottom of the well located in La Prisgiona, such as decorated pitchers and vases with paintings of the Sardinian landscape.

We still don’t know why the people living there dropped vases and pitchers in the well. However, their shape and decorations suggest that those vases were a part of rituals and were used for religious purposes.

Architectural style and social structure of Nuraghe Prisgiona

The complex structure of La Prisgiona is uncommon in northern Sardinia. The Prisgiona Nuraghe has a main tower and two side towers, linked to a bastion.

The bastion probably served as a defense against possible attackers. The towers and the bastion encircle the area of the Nuraghe. Water was supplied through a well.

This 8 meters (little over 26 feet) deep water well is quite a technological feat, since it allowed the storage of underground waters. The well is still active nowadays, a true testimony of the crafting skills of the Nuragic civilization.

Nuraghe Prisgiona is a great example of how the Nuragic civilization mastered complex building techniques. The central tower originally had two floors and a false dome, where various safety measures where applied in order to avoid the collapse of the structure.

According to archaeological studies, the main chamber was used to host public events for the community that inhabited the city, such as ceremonies or meetings.

The area facing the bastion hosts around 100 huts. Many of them are still underground and waiting to be fully excavated. According to the archaeologist that worked on the site, an important Nuragic community inhabited the city.

The organization of the city was pretty advanced for that time. Some of the huts were used to store food, while others were used by artisans in order to create products.

Recent studies show that these products were made for the community, but also for commerce with other Mediterranean civilizations.

Among the huts, a circular building near the well strikes as one of the most important. The discovery of a particular vase inside the building and a circular stone bench with 16 seats, suggests that only leaders or important citizens could go inside.

The depiction of the Sardinian landscape on the vase, suggests that only a close circle of people used the vase, probably to share beverages.

Now that you know more about the history and structure of La Prisgiona, let’s discover how to visit it.

Practical Guide To Visit Nuraghe La Prisgiona

How to get to Nuraghe la Prisgiona

Nuraghe la Prisgiona is close to Arzachena, one of the nicest towns in the Gallura. It takes about 10 minutes by car to get to the site from Arzachena.

You’ll need to take the road to Sant’Antonio di Gallura, and you will find the directions for the Prisgiona Nuraghe site after a few kilometers/miles.

You can also easily get to the nuraghe from Olbia and Santa Teresa di Gallura, it’s a nice day trip from both towns.

Once again, the best way to get there is by car, since the trip by bus can take more than 2 hours. From Olbia it will take approximately 35 minutes by car, while it is a 45 minutes trip from Santa Teresa Gallura.

Nuraghe la Prisgiona opening hours

During the winter months, La Prisgiona is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

During the summer season, Prisgiona Nuraghe it is open every day from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Tickets and tours

Nuraghe la Prisgiona tickets are €4,00 for adults. It is free to enter for residents and kids up to 12 years of age.

If you intend to visit more sites in the Arzachena Archeological Park where Nuraghe Prisgiona is located, you may want to consider buying a combo ticket for €7,00 that includes a visit to two of the seven archaeological sites of the Arzachena Archaeological Park.

For groups with more of 20 people, the ticket for Nuraghe la Prisgiona costs €3,00, while the basic combo ticket costs €6,00.

You can also choose to buy a full ticket to visit all the seven sites of Arzachena Archelogical Park. This ticket costs €20,00 for adults and €17,00 for groups.

Guided tours are available for the nuraghe and the giants’ tomb. If you wish to join one, you need to send an email to [email protected] detailing how many people are in the group, the date and time of arrival, and the language of the tour. They will give you a quote.

Other places to visit near Nuraghe Prisgiona

As I have said before, you can buy combination tickets for Nuraghe la Prisgiona and other nearby sites. There’s a total of 7 sites you can visit. These two are the most impressive:

TOMBA DEI GIGANTI DI CODDU ‘ECCHJU – This Giant’s Tomb is a great example of the Nuragic funerary architecture and it is located 1 km (0.6 miles) from Nuraghe la Prisgiona, and there is an easy trail to follow that connects the site so you can walk between the two. The structure was used for the burial of the inhabitants of La Prisgiona, so it is deeply connected to the ancient city.

TOMBA DEI GIGANTI LI LOLGHI – This large funerary complex was used for mass burial. Located on a hill, this tomb is one of the most suggestive places to visit near Arzachena.

LI MURI NECROPOLIS – About 1 km (0.6 miles) from Li Lolghi, this is the oldest site in Arzachena Archeological Park and dates from 6000 years ago. The necropolis has 6 funeral circles of a 5 to 8.5 meters diameters (between 16.5 and around 28 feet). Each circle hosted a lithic chest which contained two bodies, placed in the crouching position. The decorations of the graves tells us that these were intended for the burial of the most important members of the society. The decorations reveal contacts with other communities in the Mediterranean.

To visit the various sties, you could consider walking the entire “path of the Giants” an easy hiking trail that will take you from Nuraghe la Prisgiona to the tomb of the giants of Coddu Vecchju, Li Lolghi and Li Muri.

Make sure to read my post Who Were The Giants Of Sardinia? to discover more about the Giants’ Tombs of Sardinia.