After several days of exploring Cagliari and the surrounding areas, I rented a car and set out to delve deep into Sardinia’s rich, distant past—the Nuraghic civilization, which has produced my favorite menswear designers of ancient times!The Nuraghic people, who most likely arrived to Sardinia from the Italian peninsula, have inhabited the island for thousands of years. Over time, however, these settlers began staking out tribal territories, which they guarded with cone-shaped stone towers called nuraghi. Obviously, the ancient Nuraghic tribes had become masters of architecture and engineering.
At the center of the Nuraghic village rose a tall defensive tower, which was often surrounded by smaller towers that were interlocked to round, cone-shaped dwellings with thatched roofs—also called nuraghi. It is estimated that over 8,000 of the preexisting 30,000 nuraghi are still standing today.
The first nuraghe that I visited was near Barùmini on the way to Oristano. Su Nuraxi has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This spectacular series of beehive-like structures was actually a Nuraghic village, the construction of which dates back to the 11th century BC.
At the center stands an impressive 20-meter high tower surrounded by four defensive towers, which, in turn, are enclosed by seven more. Fifty interlocking dwellings encircle the towers. A labyrinth of tunnels and corridors run throughout the towers.
After taking a stroll through the Nuraghic village below, be sure to go on and check out the fashion sense of the Nuraghic men who built it. Nuraghic men rocked—literally!
Nuraghe Su Nuraxi
Nuraghe Su Nuraxi
For more reading on Nuraghic men and their fashion, please refer to the following articles:
Nuraghic Fashion: Intro
Photo, slideshow & video Copyright Men’s Fashion by Francesco.
