The Domus de Janas of Montessu: the necropolis carved into an amphitheatre of rock

A few kilometres north of Villaperuccio, in the heart of the southern Sulcis, the hill of Sa Pranedda opens like a great amphitheatre of rock. Along its walls, the people of the late Neolithic carved more than forty tombs, the domus de janas: the "houses of the fairies", after the name Sardinian tradition has given these mysterious cavities. Arranged almost symmetrically against the curve of the cliff, they form one of the largest and most important pre-Nuragic necropolises on the island.

The site was in use for about a millennium and a half, from the late Neolithic to the first metal ages. Walking among the tombs you can recognise different types: some are simple oven-shaped cells with vertical access, others unfold into several rooms linked by corridors. Various domus take their names from the motifs incised or carved in relief that decorate them, such as the so-called tomb of the spirals or that of the horns, symbols tied to beliefs and rites whose meaning we can now only guess at.

The area does not end with the necropolis. The valley hosts a wider archaeological park, with menhirs of considerable height and other remains that tell of a sacred landscape frequented for centuries. The silence of the plain, broken only by the wind and the birds, gives visitors a sense of the depth of time that is hard to find elsewhere.

In July 2025 Montessu was inscribed, together with other sites on the island, on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the serial property dedicated to the art and architecture of prehistoric Sardinia. A recognition that could bring more visitors, but which for now has not disturbed the quiet of the place.

Visiting Montessu means choosing a Sardinia different from that of the summer queues: no crowds, no lines at the gates, only the rock and the story of those who buried their dead here five thousand years ago. It is worth checking opening hours and access arrangements in advance, wearing comfortable shoes and bringing water, because there is little shade. A small gesture of slow, mindful tourism, in a corner of the island that deserves respect and attention.

Getting there

The necropolis of Montessu lies in the municipality of Villaperuccio, in the Sulcis, in the south-west of Sardinia. You get there by car from the town: past the built-up centre you continue on the provincial road towards Narcao and, after about a kilometre and a half, turn off following the signs for the archaeological park. Villaperuccio is a few kilometres from Carbonia and about an hour from Cagliari; the reference airport is Cagliari-Elmas, while the nearest railway stations are those of the Carbonia-Iglesias area.