Nora • Sardegna
The archaeological site of Nora is located in Southwest Sardinia and is positioned in an area where it is possible to practice both beach and cultural and environmental tourism. It is also full of very important food and wine routes, in fact the area is rich in typical products that allow the customer to live an all-round experience.
Tourists will be able to experience a vacation of a few days or a whole week while having a large number of facilities at their disposal. Accommodation facilities are numerous and can meet all kinds of needs, including those of luxury tourism.
On the initiative of its founder, the Municipality of Pula, the “Pula Cultura Diffusa Foundation” – for the enhancement and preservation of the cultural, environmental and archaeological heritage present in the municipal territory – is established. It assumes, in its name and in any distinctive sign or communication addressed to the public, the locution nonprofit organization of social utility. The purpose of the Foundation is to enhance and preserve the municipal cultural, environmental, and archaeological heritage.
The Pula diffuse culture foundation presents itself as a useful tool in terms of quality and territorial promotion and will deal first and foremost with the archaeological area of Nora, giving due recognition to the area that most characterizes the Pulese territory, but it will also have the task of managing the Patroni Library and Museum.
The foundation questions the different generations (and their interaction) and the formation of a firm awareness of being custodians and users of cultural heritage.
That tangible and intangible heritage that FPC guards and manages and that needs to be re-told by adapting the narrative to the different times that technological, educational, economic and, in general, human evolution has brought to light in the path of growth of the community of reference. To build the ordinary links (in their territorial fruition: the heritage of the FPC and the natural area have been there forever) and extraordinary ones between the systems present in the territory (historic buildings, libraries, historic villas, the park…) to support an active and proactive, vital and participatory preservation and fruition of the territory itself to be considered as “heritage” of the community of Pula.
The goal of the pivotal theme is to place the person at the center of each and every action by supporting the development of behaviors, attitudes appropriate to the changes with communication that translates the principles of cultural and intercultural exchange into practice in relations with neighbors and local heritage.
protected assets
Date
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Sep 18 2000 - Sep 18 2000
Date
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Feb 1 2022 - Feb 1 2022
Date
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Jun 1 2022 - Jun 1 2022
NORA,
evidence of ancient Mediterranean connections
HISTORY OF NORA SITE
From the intuition about the find to the first excavations to the protection and enhancement of the site, which is now available for all visitors to enjoy.
The discovery
Nora is an ancient center of Sardinia, located at the extreme southwestern tip of the Gulf of Cagliari, in the present-day municipality of Pula. The town stands on a peninsula of about 20 hectares that, reshaped over the centuries of sea-level rise and erosive phenomena, is now connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. Nora, thanks to its privileged geographical position within the trade network of the ancient Mediterranean, was frequented since the Phoenician age (8th-6th centuries B.C.) and experienced considerable development during the Punic phase (5th-2nd centuries B.C.). Entered with the second century B.C. into the political orbit of Rome, the city had a first phase of flourishing in the second half of the first century B.C., when, it became municipium, but the moment of maximum vitality was between the end of the second century A.D. and the following century: starting from the Severan age, the city assumed its definitive urban structure, with the construction of a good part of the monuments that still characterize it today.
THE EXCAVATIONS.
Abandoned for good in the medieval period, Nora was never completely buried, and its ruins, already known to the 16th-century scholar Giovanni Fara, were visited by various 19th-century scholars, including Alberto La Marmora and Canon Giovanni Spano, who also carried out some limited excavations. The first large-scale archaeological work was due to François Vivanet, who, following a heavy swell in the winter of 1889, was able to locate part of the Punic tophet. Shortly thereafter, in 1891-1892, Filippo Nissardi thoroughly investigated the Punic-age chamber burial ground, while in the early 20th century, Giovanni Patroni carried out a series of soundings, including those at the isthmus, at the necropolis and the Roman amphitheater, and at the so-called temple of Tanit.
Nora today
It was not until 1952, however, that the then superintendent Gennaro Pesce, on the occasion of a theatrical performance among the ruins of the site and with the specific intention of promoting its tourist development, unearthed a substantial part of the monuments that constituted the Roman city of Nora. More than 3 hectares of the central sector of the settlement were excavated, but the research came to a halt after a few years, without having reached the oldest levels and without having provided reliable reconstructions of the diachronic evolution of the settlement. Therefore, in 1977, under the direction of Carlo Tronchetti, new investigations were conducted according to the criteria of stratigraphic archaeology at the Terme a Mare complex. A few years later, in 1990, a new season of excavations began, when the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici for the provinces of Cagliari and Oristano inaugurated the Archaeological Mission that is still ongoing, entrusted to some of the major Italian universities, in order to deepen the knowledge related to the ancient city and to ensure a better usability of the site.Insight
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Visite guidate
Benvenuti a Nora: un viaggio nel passato glorioso
We invite you to explore the ancient ruins of Nora, an archaeological site rich in history and culture dating back to ancient Punic and Roman civilizations. Accompanied by our experienced guides, you will travel back in time to discover the secrets of this fascinating coastal city.
Meeting Point: Temple of Tanit
We will begin our journey at the majestic Temple of Tanit, dedicated to the Phoenician goddess of fertility. Here, immerse yourself in the spirituality of a distant time and admire the well-preserved architecture that testifies to Nora’s religious importance.
The Roman Forum: Center of Social Life
Crossing the ancient cobbled streets, we will reach the Roman Forum, the beating heart of social life in Roman Nora. You will hear tales of daily life, bustling markets and theatrical performances that animated this place centuries ago.
Amphitheater of Nora: Theater of Epic Stories
Our tour will then take us to the Amphitheater of Nora, where epic theatrical performances and gladiator fights gave rise to exciting spectacles. Imagine the energy and excitement of those moments as you explore the bleachers and subterranean environments.
3D Visors: A Virtual Vision into the Past
For an even more immersive experience, we offer the option of wearing 3D viewers that will take you back in time, showing you the city of Nora in its heyday. You will see carefully created digital reconstructions, giving you a unique view of what daily life was like in ancient Nora.
Closing: Reflections on Nora’s Past and Legacy
Our tour will conclude with a reflection on the incredible archaeological discoveries made at Nora and the importance of preserving and passing on our historical heritage. We are confident that this experience will leave you with a new understanding and admiration for the cultural heritage of this extraordinary city. Join us on this journey through time in Nora, where ancient stones tell stories thousands of years old and the beauty of the past lives on in the well-preserved details of a bygone era.
NORA ON TV.
Nora is such a unique archaeological site that many people want to tell about it
Scrivici
Corso Vittorio Emanuele 28, Pula
Tel. +39 329 671 52 30