20 Dec 2018

BIZARRE SARDINIA: THE MOON IN THE WELL

Sardinia Curiosities

There is a #magic place in the middle of #Sardinia, 4 km away from Paulilatino village (Oristano), where every 18 years there a unique phenomenon: the moon light reflected through the hole of a holy well.

The #sacredwell , named Santa Cristina well, is the centre of an archeological site dated 1000 BC, right in the heart of our island, precisely in the west central Sardinia. The whole valley, known also as the ‘’Valley of hundres Nuraghes’’, is rich in #Menhirs, #Nuraghes - the typical conical stone fortresses that gave the civilization their name- and millenary olive trees with roots that sink into ancient Roman tombs.

The name of #SantaCristinawell was given due to the proximity of a little rural church still located not too far away from the archeological site, despite the fact that the cult which origins the temple was really far from the birth of Jesus Christ!

The basalt holy is a typical Sardinian hypogean #BronzeAge structure and constists of a foyer, a descending stone staircase and an elliptical wall wich encloses the source. The well water still runs through the extremely fine and tigh fit of the blocks during the winter and spring. 25 still perfectly squared steps to reach the water of the well.


The well testify the high level of astronomical knowledge of the #Nuragic civilization. The well is oriented so that sunlight shines upon the water on the #equinoxes, and moonlight shines upon the water at the maximum declination of the moon, which occurs every 18 years and 6 months between December and the beginning of January.

The Nuragic civilization lived in Sardinia from the 18th century BC to the 2nd century CE, and though the fact that their impressive stone structures still stand, they did not leave behind any written record. So while it is clear that the area around the well of Santa Cristina was a sacred site complete with a meeting hut and little houses, the beliefs associated with the site and the rituals that would have taken place there remain unknown. It is still unclear for example if the temple was used as an astronomical osservatory or better as a temple dedicated to the water cult? In fact the water cult came just after the sun and moon myths in the 1st millenium BC.

The next reflection of the moon light into the holy well of Santa Cristina will happen in 2024!

Make sure to mark this fascinating event in your agenda!