The Nuragic Golgo and San Pietro — Archaeology | Guida Ogliastra

The Nuragic Golgo and San Pietro

On the Golgo plateau the sacred has layered for three thousand years: Nuragic betyls before the 17th-century church of San Pietro, and the Su Sterru chasm that — myth says — swallowed the evil serpent slain by the saint.

Details and how to get there

## Sacred stones Before San Pietro's exedra stand the betyls: polished conical stones, effigies of the Nuragic deity, brought here from a sanctuary at least two thousand years older than the church.

The Baunei community never stopped worshipping this place — only the god's name changed.

## The chasm A few minutes' walk away, Su Sterru opens a perfect 270-metre shaft in the limestone: peer in (safely, beyond the fence) and you will understand why myths filled it with monsters.

Cavers rank it among Europe's most celebrated descents.

## When to go At the San Pietro festival (late June) the Golgo fills with long tables and tenore singing; on summer nights, the light-free sky shows the sharpest Milky Way you will see in Italy.

At a glance

From I Mandorli: about 30 minutes via Baunei

Su Sterru: 270 m karst abyss, Europe's deepest single-span

I Mandorli Boutique Country Retreat in Ogliastra: breakfast, pool, free parking and Lotzorai beaches 12 minutes away.