Between the 19th and 14th century BC the village and the nuraghe were built.

Between the 12th and 9th century BC the well temple was built.

Between the 9th and 8th century BC the site experienced intense cult activity and particular development.

Frequentation continued in Punic and Roman times, in late antiquity, in the Middle Ages and in modern times.

THE WELL TEMPLE

The temenos, an elliptical sacred enclosure, surrounds the well temple, the heart of the complex. The temple, built with carefully worked basalt blocks, consists of three parts: the vestibule, the staircase and the underground chamber.

The vestibule is the only part entirely above ground, where offerings were deposited. From it, the monumental staircase descends towards the underground chamber, where the spring flows.

The staircase leads to the circular chamber, which preserves its tholos ceiling. At its base a small basin collects the spring water.

The precise cutting of the blocks, the regularity of the courses and the control of geometry testify to the high specialisation of Nuragic craftsmen.

THE SANCTUARY

Around the temple developed spaces for ritual practices, meetings, hospitality and community activities.

Among the later buildings stands the Meeting Hut, with a bench along the wall. Next to it, some rooms have been interpreted as spaces for pilgrims or for commercial activities linked to the celebrations.

THE VILLAGE

Near the sacred area the village and the single-tower nuraghe had developed earlier.

MATERIALS

The buildings of the complex were constructed in basalt, a volcanic rock abundant here and used as building material.

CULT AND COMMUNITY LIFE

Metal objects and personal ornaments testify to ritual practices linked to votive offerings. Everyday tools show a stable frequentation of the spaces and daily activities.

Among the materials are also bronzes of Middle Eastern origin, suggesting contacts with Mediterranean peoples.

LATER FREQUENTATION

The life of the sanctuary did not end with the protohistoric age, as Punic and Roman structures show. Other traces belong to late antiquity and the Middle Ages, including early medieval burials.

In the Middle Ages the church of Santa Cristina and the small dwellings of the novenario, known as muristenes or cumbessias, were also built; they still host pilgrims today.

The first descriptions of the site date to the 19th century.

Systematic excavations between the 1960s and 1970s brought to light the village, the communal and ritual buildings and the various phases of frequentation, showing that Santa Cristina was not an isolated monument but an articulated sanctuary.

Today the staircase, the underground chamber and most of the walls preserve a high degree of authenticity. Some upper sectors, the top and parts of the vestibule are the result of restoration using the original stone blocks.

Sources to be defined.

On the same site, in the 13th century, the rural church dedicated to Santa Cristina and the small dwellings of the novenario were built. The name by which the nuragic complex is known today comes from that medieval church.