Genoni

Genoni is a hilly town in Sarcidano area, located along the foothills of Giara di Gesturi. Giara’s basalt plateau is an impressive geological formation, characterized by steep rock faces and a wide, flat summit, offering a unique habitat for flora and fauna.

The origins of human settlement in Genoni area date back to prehistory, as evidenced by several Nuragic remains, nuraghes, villages and places of worship.

Some unique sites have been unearthed in its territory, such as the sacred well of Santu Antine. The temple is particularly remarkable for its depth, 39 meters, and because the entire shaft of the well was filled with a huge quantity of Nuragic, Punic, and Roman artifacts. Among these it is possible to find a rare example of a wooden winch for lifting water, dating back to Roman times.

Also of great importance is Sa Corona Arrubia Nuragic complex, which features a rotunda used for ritual purposes. Inhabitation continued here into the historical era, as evidenced by coins from the Roman Republican and Imperial periods, as well as from the Vandal period.

From Santu Pedru nuraghe comes a unique bronze statuette, exhibited at the Archaeological Museum. It depicts a male figure playing a musical instrument, a horn, described by Giovanni Lilliu as “an instrument that must have been quite heavy (certainly metal judging by its flexibility), since it required two hands to play it.”

Bruncu Suergiu (or Su Tistivigliu) archaeological complex is located about ten kilometers far from the Genoni village on the slopes of Giara. There are the remains of a large residential settlement with production facilities, fortifications and ancient roads, dating from the Nuragic period to Late Antiquity. During this period, the site underwent a significant development, suggesting it became a vandal stronghold, whose presence is well-attested on Giara.

On the ground floor of the Archaeological Museum, among the Roman finds, there is a bronze statuette from Genoni, perhaps depicting Jupiter, but known as Sardus Pater, an ancient local deity who was later identified with Jupiter himself. The figure wears a long tunic and a feather headdress. It dates from the 5th to the 3rd century BC.

 

Pic: Colle Santu Antine, ph. Roberto Soddu by Wikimedia