The Santa Cristina Well temple is the highest architectural expression of the Nuragic civilization dating back to around 3000 years ago. The well is part of a shrine complex built in the 12th or 11th century BCE by the Nuragic civilization. The Nuragic civilization lived in Sardinia from the 18th century BCE to the 2nd century CE, and though they were remarkably skilled masons whose impressive stone structures still stand, they did not leave behind any written record. So while it is contextually clear that the area around the Well of Santa Cristina was a sacred site complete with a meeting hut and lodgings, the beliefs associated with the site and the rituals that would have taken place there remain unclear.
Santa Cristina Well is part of a shrine complex built in the 12th or 11th century BCE by the Nuragic civilization
The well is preceded by a vestibule which follows the staircase formed by 24 steps and which narrows down as it approaches the chamber containing the actual well, formed by a circular cell covered by a vaulted ogival dome, high almost 7 meters. The steps are covered with architraves that create an extraordinary upside-down staircase effect.
Santa Cristina Well was a sacred site complete with a meeting hut and lodgings, the beliefs associated with the site and the rituals that would have taken place there remain unclear
Some scholars think that the sanctuary was also a place of astronomical observation that allowed to scrutinize and measure the celestial motions. A series of events that occur at certain times of the year seem to confirm this theory. On the occasion of the equinoxes, the sun perfectly illuminates the bottom of the well penetrating through the stairwell and then reflecting on the water. Even more extraordinary and mysterious is the phenomenon concerning the moon: every 18 years and 6 months, when the moon reaches its maximum height, its light passes through the opening on the top of the well. Furthermore, the ratio between the base and the height of the dome coincides, with a very small margin of error, with astronomical geometry.
On the occasion of the equinoxes, the sun perfectly illuminates the bottom of the well penetrating through the stairwell and then reflecting on the water
Every 18 years and 6 months, when the moon reaches its maximum height, its light passes through the opening on the top of the well
