Capo Caccia Promontory and Fertilia (Nurra Region)
The Historical Region of Nurra
Nurra (Nure) is a historical region occupying northwestern Sardinia between the Gulf of Asinara to
the northeast and the Sardinian Sea to the west. Characterized by plain landscapes and low
mountain ranges (Mount Forte and Mount Doglia), its historical economy centered on agropastoral
activities, sheep shelters (cuiles), and mineral extraction (lead/zinc at Argentiera, iron at Canaglia).
Fertilia & Lake Calich
• Calich Lagoon & Roman Bridge: A 97-hectare coastal lagoon system split into the main
Calich basin and the narrower Calighet section. Near the outlet stands the remnants of an
ancient Roman bridge that formed part of the A Tibula Sulcis coastal road connecting the
Nurra and Bosano regions. Ten of its original 24 arches were destroyed during 20th-century
wetland reclamation works.
• Fertilia: Founded on March 8, 1936, by the Ente Ferrarese di Colonizzazione as a planned
agricultural town built in the Fascist Rationalist style using local pink trachyte. Initially settled
by families from the Ferrara region, it received numerous Istrian-Dalmatian refugees after
World War II, adopting Saint Mark as its patron.
Archaeological & Historical Sites near Fertilia
• Anghelu Ruju Necropolis: Discovered in 1905 within the Sella & Mosca wine estates, this
major Mediterranean prehistoric site comprises thirty-eight rock-cut domus de janas
hypogeum tombs. Dating from the Ozieri culture (Late Neolithic) through the Bell Beaker and
Bonnanaro cultures, the chambers feature carved bull horns and false door symbols.
• Palmavera Nuragic Complex: A bilobed complex nuraghe featuring a central limestone
main tower (8 meters high) connected by a outer curtain wall to a secondary tower, an
internal courtyard, and an outer encircling wall with three towers. Surrounding the central
structure are the remains of a village including a meeting hut (capanna delle riunioni)
containing perimeter benches and a stone model of a nuraghe.
• Sant’Imbenia Phoenician Site & Roman Villa:
◦ Phoenician Settlement: An 8th-century BC commercial hub where indigenous Nuragic
inhabitants traded local metals (copper, iron, silver) with Phoenician and Greek
merchants. The site yielded the Sant’Imbenia Seal, an inscribed artifact showcasing
early local writing codes.
◦ Roman Villa: Excavated ruins of an imperial maritime leisure villa (villa d’ozio)
consisting of forty-nine rooms divided into residential quarters, service areas, and a
private thermal bath complex.
Capo Caccia Coastline & Caves
• Grotta Verde (Green Cave): A descending sea cave famous for wall-covering plant growths
and a deep subterranean lake. Excavations in 1979 yielded Early Neolithic cardial pottery,
rock art, and burial niches, giving the name to the Grotta Verde Cultural Facies.
• Capo Caccia Lighthouse: Perched atop a 168-meter limestone cliff, the 24-meter lighthouse
tower reaches a total elevation of 186 meters above sea level, making it the highest
lighthouse in Italy.
• Nereo Cave (Grotta di Nereo): The largest submerged sea cave in Europe, extending over
300 meters with 500 meters of tunnels and multiple chambers home to extensive red coral
(Corallium rubrum) branches.
• Neptune’s Grotto (Grotta di Nettuno): A famous karst cave system accessible via the sea
or down the 656-step Escala del Cabirol stair cut into the cliffside. Interior features include
Lake La Marmora (a 480-meter-long salt lake), the 11-meter-tall Great Organ column in the
Smith Room, and ornate calcite draperies.
• Isola Foradada: An offshore limestone island pierced through by the 110-meter-long Grotta
dei Palombi natural sea tunnel.