Florinas, Nuraghe Corvos

The nuraghe is isolated in a rural area.
The Corvos is a complex nuraghe consisting of a main tower and a bastion with two secondary towers. The monument has the peculiarity of having been restored in ancient times following the collapse of the upper wall structures or because of the need to build an additional floor.
The main tower, the best preserved one, has a circular plan (diam. m 13.60; height 8.20 m) and is built at the base with large limestone blocks that have just been drafted; during the restoration, well-worked dark trachyte ashlars were superimposed on them.
The restoration does not appear uniform: on the NE side, probably affected by the collapse of the structures, it also affects the underlying limestone rows, while on the remaining sides it is regularly imposed on the original limestone structure.
The entrance to the main tower, oriented SE (height 0.85 m), is covered by an architrave with two drain openings that has, on the inner face, a drain.
Today, a conspicuous lesion affects the S. jamb and has caused the placement of a support stone that obstructs part of the entrance.
The remaining entrance (length m 4.80; height m 2.25) presents the andit niche (m 1.70 x 1.10 x 1.05 h) and behind the entrance of the staircase (m 1.70 x 3.20 h) today cluttered with rubble.
Going through the latter, you reach the top of the tower where scant remains of the upper chamber are preserved.
The corridor leads to the “tholos” room, with a slightly flattened floor plan (m 4.30 x 4.50; height 5.30 m) built with stones of decreasing size, carefully installed.
On the profile of the room, three niches open in a cross shape: the left and central rooms have a semicircular plan, the one on the floor develops in an “L” shape.
The bastion (width m 24; thickness m 6) incorporated two towers that are barely readable on the ground today (diam. m 7.50 and m 9).
The wall curtains of the added body emerge just with the exception of the south-west side, next to the escarpment that descends to the Mannu River, where the structures stand for a residual height of about 2 m on three rows of stones.

History of the excavations
The necropolis was investigated by Paolo Melis.

Bibliography
Ministry of Education, List of Monumental Buildings, XIX, Rome, Type Operaia Romana Cooperativa, 1922, p. 96;
A. Taramelli, “Sheet 193: Bonorva” in Archaeological Edition of the Map of Italy at 100,000, 37, Florence, Military Geographic Institute, 1940, p. 129;
E. Melis, Map of the Nuraghi of Sardinia: prehistoric monuments in the town of Mamoiada, Spoleto, Arti Grafica Panetto & Petrelli, 1967, p. 118; E. Contu, “The Nuraghe”, in La Civiltà dei Nuraghi della Sardegna: prehistoric monuments in the town of Mamoiada, Spoleto, Arti Grafica Panetto & Petrelli, 1967, p. 118; E. Contu, “The Nuraghe”, in La Civiltà dei Nuraghi della Sardegna: prehistoric monuments in the town of Mamoiada, Spoleto, Arti Grafica Panetto & Petrelli, 1967, p. 118; E. Contu, “The Nuraghe”, in La Civiltà dei nuragica, Milan, Electa, 1990, pp. 35-99;
D. Pulacchini, “Newsletter”, in New Sardinian Archaeological Bulletin, 4, 1993, p. 273; P. Melis, “Archaeological Emergencies in the Territory of Florinas (Sassari)”, in Journal of Prehistoric Sciences, L, 1999-2000, pp. 375-412;
P. Melis, The Tomb of Campu Lontanu in the territory of Florinas, series “Archaeological Sardinia.
Guides and Itineraries”, Sassari, Carlo Delfino, 2001, pp. 38-42.

How to get
From the SS 131 at the height of Sassari in the direction of Oristano-Cagliari, at the Florinas junction, turn south on SP 3 and continue on the same road until you reach the town, which you cross. Continue to Cargeghe, but turn immediately to the south after passing the church of Sant'Antonio. Continue for a few more kilometers until you meet the nuraghe, near the road.