Author Archive: Claudia

Only on our trails: the San Giovanni Cave

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Lucky you, athletes: in the first part of the race, you cross the Cave of San Giovanni, a very few km from the starting line…in this way you can get immediately an idea of the natural beauty of this corner of southwest Sardinia. Located in the territory of Domusnovas, nearby Iglesias, the natural cave is a fine example of a karst phenomenon generated by the flow of an underground river and is excavated in the oldest limestone rocks of the island, dated millions of years. The cave was already used in ancient times, as evidenced by the last remains of a megalithic wall, that probably closed the southern entrance during the pre-nuraghic age.

Its uniqueness is due to the presence within its tortuous and sinuous tunnel, of a paved road that extends for all its length of 850 m, making it the longest road-crossed natural cavity in the world! Only two other similar caves exist on the entire planet: one in France (the Grotte du Mas-d’Azil, in the Pyrenees) and one in Australia (in the Grand Arch of the Jenolan Caves, in Oberon).

The road was created in the 19th century in order to facilitate the transport of material from the nearby Sa Duchessa mine. Today it is no longer suitable for vehicles, since it was recognized as a natural monument and subject to restrictions.

Currently the road is used by visitors to admire the beauty of the cave, in which flows a stream, originating from the Oridda valley. Stalactites and stalagmites decorate it remarkably. Large calcareous basins overlapping each other form real rock falls.
Both the North and the South entrances are well-known among the climbers, who chose these walls all year round as an challenging training option!

 

 

 

 

Good to know:
– entering from the south side on the left opens a cavity called “Su stampu de Pireddu” (Pireddu’s cavity), which is the most interesting active branch, consisting of a series of galleries and narrow tunnels for a total development of 2 km, characterized by the presence of underground lakes. The name is due to an ancient bandit (Pireddu is a Sardinian family name) who, it seems, found shelter there.

– The name of the cave of San Giovanni derives from a cavity in the interior used in the past as a rock chapel dedicated to Saint John and demolished when the construction of the road began. Thus the small church of San Giovanni was built in the immediate proximity of the south entrance.

For information:

Consorzio Natura Viva Sardegna: 0039.3480553309; Email: consorzionaturaviva@gmail.com

Only on our trails!

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Our Trail del Marganai staff wants you to experience time traveling without the need for a special machine, but simply “running”. Your feet will take you to discover the testimonies of human activities of the past and all this will happen with you runners surrounded by breathtaking natural landscapes! Enjoy and run!

The nuraghe Sa Domu e s’Orku is our starting point for all races of the Marganai Trail 2019. It is located on a small hill at the foot of Monte Mannu, a few minutes walk from the village of Domusnovas and it was built in several phases from 1600 BC up to 1000 B.C. It is the largest nuragic complex in the whole South-East, probably, in other times, it was one of the biggest in Sardinia. Nowadays, different parts collapsed and Mother Nature decided to “embrace” the ancient building, abandoned for about 3000 years, with its fragrant shrubs … hence the difficulty of accessing the interior rooms. The name of the building means “the house of the ogre” and it is said that the inhabitants of the area invented the name, in order to prevent the children from approaching.

 

 

 

The central tower, is part of a bastion with three towers, which is surrounded by a rampart that includes 5 more external towers, as well as two  curtains with independent entrances. The main tower has a diameter of 8,80m at the ground and a staircase leads from inside to the upper floor. Its entrance, now partially buried, gives access to the courtyard, where metals were melted. Around the nuraghe there are numerous traces of huts that were part of a village.

 

 

 

Good to know: these constructions have the peculiarity of being built without the use of mortar (dry-laid walls) and the massive stones could weigh several tons. Today, after millennia, over 7000 towers are spread all over the surface of Sardinia, thanks to the technical ability of the nuragic people (see for example the use of an architrave and the small opening above the entrances, that allows to distribute the weight sideways).

For information and guided tours:

Consorzio Natura Viva Sardegna: 0039.3480553309; Email: consorzionaturaviva@gmail.com