Santa Cristina Sanctuary

The Santa Cristina Sanctuary, in the territory of Paulilatino, is one of Sardinia’s most celebrated Nuragic sacred complexes. The precise geometry of its basalt well temple, nearby Nuragic settlement and medieval pilgrimage village bring together thousands of years of history in one place.

A trapezoidal staircase descends into a tholos-roofed chamber where water emerges. The basalt blocks are worked with remarkable precision, creating one of the finest examples of Nuragic sacred architecture.

Structures connected with ritual and communal activities surround the temple, including the building traditionally known as the meeting hut.

A nuraghe and other structures stand a short distance from the well, completing the archaeological picture of the wider complex.

The small church of Santa Cristina and the traditional muristenes show how the religious role of the place continued into much more recent periods.

Santa Cristina is a top-tier archaeological stop and can be combined with Paulilatino or Nuraghe Losa. For history-focused travellers it should take priority over less significant nearby locations.