Why this ride
381 km from Nughedu Santa Vittoria to Nughedu Santa Vittoria, about 4 h of riding. On the way it passes Necropolis of Istevéne, Necropolis of Brodu, Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos and Necropolis of Sant'Andrea Priu.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Necropolis of Mandras and Necropolis of Sant'Andrea Priu
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 381 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 8 h 13
- 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 Mandras
Cut into a slope of volcanic rock above the valley of the Tirso, near the village of Ardauli in central Sardinia, the Necropolis of Mandras is a cluster of prehistoric tombs that the Sardinians call domus de janas, houses of the fairies or witches. They were carved out of the rock with stone tools by farming communities, mostly in the late Neolithic, and some of the chambers imitate the inside of a house, with carved beams, doorways and pillars. Folklore said they were built by tiny women who wove gold at night, and in a sense the name says more about how ancient they felt to later generations than any date could.
Read the complete Necropolis of Mandras write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Necropolis of Mandras is where the day begins. Next is Necropolis of Istevéne.
2. 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 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 88 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 Necropolis of Sant'Andrea Priu.
5. Necropolis of Sant'Andrea Priu
Four or five thousand years ago, people on the high plateau of Campo di Santa Lucia in Sardinia carved a whole apartment of rooms into a cliff of soft volcanic rock, to house their dead. The Sardinians call these rock-cut tombs domus de janas, houses of the fairies, and Sant'Andrea Priu, near Bonorva, has some of the most remarkable. The largest, known as the Tomba del Capo, has a series of chambers whose walls and ceilings imitate the beams and pillars of a real house. Centuries later, in the early Christian and Byzantine period, it was converted into a church and its walls were painted with frescoes, some of which survive.
Read the complete Necropolis of Sant'Andrea Priu write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Necropolis of Sant'Andrea Priu sits at 116 km, about halfway. Next is back through Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos.
6. back through Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos
Return visit. Read the place description above.
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
back through Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos comes up about 222 km into the recorded legs. Next is back through Necropolis of Brodu.
7. 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
about 292 km into the recorded legs you reach back through Necropolis of Brodu. Next is back through Necropolis of Istevéne.
8. back through 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
back through Necropolis of Istevéne, late in the day. Next is Necropolis of Mandras.
9. Necropolis of Mandras
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Necropolis of Mandras write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 381 km.
Leg by leg
Necropolis of Mandras to Necropolis of Istevéne
Necropolis of Mandras → Necropolis of Istevéne is 60 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Necropolis of Istevéne to Necropolis of Brodu
Necropolis of Istevéne → Necropolis of Brodu is 28 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 70 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos to Necropolis of Sant'Andrea Priu
Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos → Necropolis of Sant'Andrea Priu is 32 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Necropolis of Sant'Andrea Priu to back through Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos
Necropolis of Sant'Andrea Priu → back through Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos is 32 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos to back through Necropolis of Brodu
back through Necropolis of Sos Furrighesos → back through Necropolis of Brodu is 70 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Necropolis of Brodu to back through Necropolis of Istevéne
back through Necropolis of Brodu → back through Necropolis of Istevéne is 30 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Necropolis of Istevéne to Necropolis of Mandras
back through Necropolis of Istevéne → Necropolis of Mandras is 60 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.