The uncontaminated landscape around Nurazzolas has traces of man's presence over the centuries. Villaputzu and neighboring towns have a considerable historical and archaeological heritage: from the Is Pirois sacred well to the Romanesque church of San Nicola built by the Pisani in the XII century on the shores of Flumini Durci.

 

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St. Nicholas Church

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The little Church of Saint Nicola was probably built in the first or second decade of the 13th century by the Pisani, at the foot of the Quirra’s Castle Mountain. It is the only exemple of Romanesque construction made of red bricks in Sardinia. With a single nave, the church, simple and refined in its appearance, has a rectangular plan with a semi-circular apse.

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The facade has a gate with a full-centre arch, and it is decorated, same as the sides of the building, with a sequence of hanging arches; the top is surmounted by a bell tower with ogival light.

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Quirra Castle

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Nearby are located the ruins of Castle of Quirra, for a long time residence of the Carroz family, lords of the great feud. The area where now lies the castle was used since the Palaeolithic: located above a 296-meter high mountain, it guaranteed a dominant and strategic position. In some areas, near the castle, were found numerous caves, with the remains of human settlements dating back to the Palaeolithic and the ancient Neolithic.

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The Castle of Quirra was built before the 1296-97, by the Giudici of Cagliari, and because of its importance - political, military and economic - the castle suffered numerous sieges. Having control of the Castle of Quirra meant controlling not only the nearby coast but also the rich mines located in the interior.

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Among the many noteworthy tales and legends about the Castle of Quirra, those about the two most famouses ladies of the Carroz family - Eleonora and Violante - are worth being told.

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According to the first tale Berengario Carroz, fell desperately in love with Donna Eleonora Manriquez, cousin of the Queen of Aragon, and in order to marry her he had his wife executed in the castle, after falsely accusing her of betrayal.

The second legend takes place along the road that the Carroz used to follow to go to their residence in Ales. According to the legend the Count of Mandas fell in love with the daughter of the Count of Quirra, and he asked for her hand in marriage even while knowing that his love was unrequited. The young lady, perhaps to discourage the Count’s hopes, promised to marry him if he would come to claim her on a 4-horse-drawn carriage. The road that connected the castle and the Mount Cardiga Upland, known today as "Sa Scala de Sa Contissa” (The Countess’s stairway), was well familiar to the Cout’s daughter, who also knew also that it was almost impossibile for the Count to succeed in his quest, given the narrow width and steep slope of the "stairway".

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Despite everything the Count succeeded in his intent and the young lady had to agree to leave with him, but when the carriage came back to the "stairway", the young woman's heart did not endure the pain of leaving and died in the arms of her beau.

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Murtas Tower

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Not far from the Castle, near the sea, rises the Tower of Murtas, part of the coastal defensive system which included also the Towers of San Lorenzo and Turri Motta. The tower has the typical truncated conical shape, with various openings and a domed vault. The Tower of Murtas can be reached through a narrow uphill road in the vegetation. The beach of Murtas is located in a military area, and it is freely accessible only in the summer months.

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The Baccu Locci mine

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Along the Route 125, just before the bridge over the Rio Corr’e Cerbu, and after about four miles of dirt road accessible by car, we arrive at the abandoned mine of Baccu Locci, a recognized UNESCO site.

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The mine of Baccu Locci is an emblematic example of classical mining architecture in Sardinia, dating back to the early twentieth century. The village lies in a landscape of extraordinary beauty, characterized by the presence of deep valleys, where the typical Mediterranean vegetation prevails. The mine, which remained in operation until 1965 for the extraction of arsenopyrite, includes about thirty historic buildings and a wealth of rare industrial facilities for mining. Worthy of note: the washery and the small artificial basin located below the wild peaks of the Upland of Mount Cardiga.

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porto corallo

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The area of Porto Corallo has a diverse coastline: there is a long sandstone interrupted only by the river dela of the Flumendosa as well as numerous creeks among the rocks, where until some time ago it was possible to find coral fragments. Recently, a port has been built to accommodate small and medium sized boats. In the small hill overlooking the marina, in 1592, work began on the construction of the antibarbarian tower, the tower is still accessible and offers the visitor an unforgettable panorama of the whole coast. The tower has a cylindrical shape and a considerable size, it rises to about 15 meters above sea level and from it you can see both the tower of the Arrubiu Mountain to the North, and the towers of the Saline and of Capoferrato to the South. With its 14 meters hight and more then 30 meters of circumference, it allowed to control the Flumendosa river delta and the commercial port that was used for the trade of the mineral and coral richly present in the area.

 

 

Thanks to its geographically favorable position, Nurazzolas is close to the major tourist centers of the Eastern coast of Sardinia:

• Villasimius

• Costa Rei

• Barisardo

• Arbatax

• Santa Maria Navarrese

• Cala Gonone

• Dorgali