Clinging to a mountainous ridge, they have characterised the area for thousands of years and have consecrated it to the worship of the waters: a temple, a sacred font and other mysterious buildings in which the Nuragic people performed their mysterious rituals and affirmed their territorial dominion. The temple of Janna ‘e Pruna and the nearby sacred well of su Notante stand on the granite peak of mount Senes, in the territory of Irgoli, exactly in the pass that gave its name to the temple and that was already a strategic point of passage from the coast to the hinterland in prehistoric times, connecting the valleys of riu Siniscola and Cedrino. The landscape here, at an altitude of almost 600 metres above sea level, is enchanting: to the south-west the view dominates the valley of the stream of Remulis in southern Baronia until you see the Supramonte and Gennargentu.
The first site you will encounter upon entering the sacred area is the temple of Janna ‘e Pruna, built in well-worked granite blocks positioned in even rows. It consists of a rectangular atrium, equipped with a counter-seat on the left wall, and a circular cell - it may have originally been equipped with a tholos roof -, with a central fireplace and a stone bench here too, leaning against the wall. The temple was surrounded by a temenos, the sacred enclosure, with a trapezoid floor plan and an oval courtyard in front, where votive offerings were placed. Outside the enclosure, you will see traces of another circular building surrounded by a walled enclosure. All the buildings are then enclosed by another large rectangular curtain wall. The materials found during the excavations allow us to date the monument to a period between the Late Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age (12th-9th century BC).
Continuing south-west, about 150 metres from the temple, you will encounter two other buildings, the function of which is still a mystery. The first has a circular plan and an architraved niche inside, while the other is rectangular, with three rows of steps on the east side. Further downstream, close to the course of the Remulis, alongside which there is a row of black alders, you can admire the su Notante font, built using the isodomic technique with square blocks of basalt, a stone that cannot be found on site, so it was necessary to transport the raw material here to build the well. The western part of the façade and the catchment well of the spring from which the water still flows are still standing. The sacred well has a trapezoidal opening and a rectangular basin and it is covered by a flat arch. You will also notice a stretch of wall with granite terracing. After the visit, you can observe the artefacts from the sanctuary in the Municipal Antiquarium of Irgoli. The museum itinerary, divided over two floors, tells the story of the town and its territory from the Recent Neolithic period to the Middle Ages.
