Why this ride
From Mamoiada it runs 358 km to Mamoiada; allow about 7 h 28 of riding. The stops in between: Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sa, Necropolis of Brodu, Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos and back through Necropolis of Brodu.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Necropolis of Istevéne and Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 358 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 7 h 28
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Necropolis of Istevéne
In Sardinian folklore, the little rock-cut tombs scattered across the island were the homes of janas, tiny fairies or witches who wove on golden looms and came out at night. Archaeologists call them domus de janas, fairy houses, and date them to the Neolithic and Copper Age, thousands of years before the famous nuraghi towers. The necropolis of Istevéne, near Mamoiada in the heart of the Barbagia, is a group of these chambers cut into the granite, some with carved details imitating the beams and doorways of real houses, and it belongs among the prehistoric Sardinian tombs that have gained UNESCO recognition.
Read the complete Necropolis of Istevéne write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Necropolis of Istevéne is where the day begins. Next is Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sa.
2. Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sa
The high country of central Sardinia, between the Tirso river and the hills of the Barbagia, is a landscape of basalt plateaus, cork forests, small stone villages and long, empty views. The nearest places on our list, Nughedu Santa Vittoria and Neoneli, are small villages with only a few hundred people each, and the town of Macomer is some twenty-five kilometres away. The prehistoric story here is about how the island's early people treated their dead, and the title reflects that.
Read the complete Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sa write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sa comes up about 60 km into the recorded legs. Next is Necropolis of Brodu.
3. Necropolis of Brodu
Barbagia is the rugged heart of Sardinia, a land of granite hills, shepherds and fiercely held traditions, and on its western edge, near the village of Oniferi, the rock-cut tombs of Brodu are among the most elaborate on the island. Like other domus de janas, these chambers were carved into the stone by the people of the Neolithic Ozieri culture and later, but here several of them have carved decoration inside: false doors, imitation roof beams and, in some, the curved horn motifs that are thought to represent the bull, a symbol of strength and fertility that appears again and again in Sardinian prehistory.
Read the complete Necropolis of Brodu write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 116 km into the recorded legs you reach Necropolis of Brodu. Next is Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos.
4. Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos
In the Goceano hills of north-central Sardinia, a low cliff of pale volcanic rock above the village of Anela hides one of the island's more striking prehistoric cemeteries. Sos Furrighesos is a cluster of domus de janas, the rock-cut tombs whose Sardinian name means houses of the fairies, carved into the face of the stone by Neolithic farmers some five thousand years ago. Some of the chambers are simple niches; others open into several rooms, and a few still carry carved reliefs of bull horns, a symbol you meet again and again in Sardinian prehistory.
Read the complete Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos, about halfway. Next is back through Necropolis of Brodu.
5. back through Necropolis of Brodu
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Necropolis of Brodu write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Necropolis of Brodu sits at 159 km, about halfway. Next is back through Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sa.
6. back through Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sa
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sa write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sa comes up about 300 km into the recorded legs. Next is Necropolis of Istevéne.
7. Necropolis of Istevéne
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Necropolis of Istevéne write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Necropolis of Istevéne closes the day.
Leg by leg
Necropolis of Istevéne to Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sa
Necropolis of Istevéne → Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sa is 60 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sa to Necropolis of Brodu
Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sa → Necropolis of Brodu is 56 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Necropolis of Brodu to Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos
Necropolis of Brodu → Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos is 57 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos to back through Necropolis of Brodu
Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos → back through Necropolis of Brodu is 71 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Necropolis of Brodu to back through Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sa
back through Necropolis of Brodu → back through Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sa is 56 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sa to Necropolis of Istevéne
back through Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sa → Necropolis of Istevéne is 60 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.