Cabras, San Salvatore Hypogeum

The hypogeum, partially carved into the rock, is under the church dedicated to Saint Savior, in the center of the homonymous village, not far from the Phoenician-Punic city of Tharros and the Byzantine church of San Giovanni di Sinis.
The site of the hypogeum shows traces of attendance as far back as the Neolithic Age. His cultural vocation has been evident since ancient times. In the Nuragic age, a sacred well was dug there for the worship of water; in the Punic period the area was dedicated to Sid, the healing god; the Romans practiced the cult of Asclepius; in the Christian age, the place was dedicated to rites in honor of the Savior.
The church was built in the 17th century and the village of 'cumbessias' developed around it, housing for pilgrims who went to San Salvatore to complete their devotional journey.
The current layout of the hypogeum dates back to the late-imperial period. The lower part is entirely dug into the rock, while the upper part is made of rows of bricks and blocks of plastered tuff. It is accessed through an entrance that opens into the church floor and leads to a staircase dug into the rock. The staircase leads to a corridor along which several rooms open up. The first two rooms (A and B) have a rectangular plan, are vaulted with a skylight and a small well opens up on the floor of each of them to collect the waste of ritual meals.
You then access, after walking a short stretch of the corridor, to an environment with a circular plan (C), covered with a low dome, with a skylight on the top and on whose floor there is a spring water well considered healthy. On the sides of the circular compartment, there are two rooms (D and E) with an apsidic back wall. Finally, in the opposite position compared to the entrance, there is a room (F) larger than all the others, apsed, covered with vaulted ceilings, on which two skylights open. Also in this compartment there is a well with spring water. In rooms B and F there are two crude altars for Christian worship, on the sides of which a large Nuragic basin has been reused as a holy water fountain.
On the walls of all rooms, inscriptions are still visible in Punic characters (the link RF = RUFU, “heal”), Greek (with magical functions), Latin (generally in cursive) and even Arabic characters (these are inscriptions from the 16th to 17th centuries relating to the Islamic faith). There are also paintings dating back to different periods and traced back to both pagan cults (Goddess Among the Fairs, Proserpina from the Underworld, Pegasus, Hercules strangling the lion) and Christians (fish, peacock).

History of excavations
In the years 1935-38 and 1973-79, the hypogeum was excavated and restored several times. In the seventies, the staircase and the floor of all the rooms were completely redone.

Bibliography
D. Levi, The Hypogeum of S. Salvatore di Cabras in Sardinia, Rome, 1949;
F. Barreca, “Cabras. Locality San Salvatore”, in I Sardi. Sardinia from the Paleolithic to the Roman Age, Milan, 1984, pp. 187-189; A. Donati-R. Zucca, Hypogeo di San Salvatore, series “Archaeological Sardinia. Guides and itineraries”, Sassari, Carlo Delfino, 1992;
G. Susini, “The hypogeum of San Salvatore di Cabras, archive of signs of history”, in Roman Africa. Proceedings of the tenth study conference, Sassari, 1994, pp. 71-73;
P.G. Spanu, Byzantine Sardinia between the 6th and 7th centuries, series “Late Antique and Medieval Mediterranean. Excavations and research”, Oristano, S'Alvure, 1998, pp. 163-164.

How to get there
To visit the hypogeum, you must contact the Cabras Town Hall in advance. From Cabras, take the SP in the direction of Capo San Marco for about 5 km; then take the turn to d and, after traveling about 500 m, you reach the village of San Salvatore, inside which there is the church, usually closed. To visit the hypogeum, you must contact the Cabras Town Hall.

Tag

Structure category: archaeological area or park

Content type: Archaeological monument
Archaeology

Usability: Open

Province: Oristano

Common: Cabras

Macro Territorial Area: Central Sardinia

POSTAL CODE: 09072

Address: piazza San Salvatore, s.n.c.

Telephone: +39 0783 3971 +39 334 3113096

E-mail: affari.generali@pec.comune.cabras.or.it info@tharros.sardegna.it

Website: www.penisoladelsinis.it www.comune.cabras.or.it/vivere-cabras/siti-archeologici/san-salvatore-di-sinis

January - December

Saturday - Sunday

10:00 AM - 1:30PM

Saturday - Sunday

2:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Information on tickets and access: Advance telephone booking is recommended. For each visit, there is a maximum number of 7 people and the times may vary depending on the number of reservations. For more information, any changes in the schedule and cost of tickets, contact the manager, Cooperativa Penisola del Sinis, at +39 377 0970567.

Access mode: For a fee

Update

19/4/2024 - 14:25

Services

Guided tours