Nuragus, Sacred Well of Coni

The monument is located in the marbled basin of Coni (275 m above sea level), on the S slopes of Colle di Valenza, in the historic region of Part'e Alenza, between Marmilla and Sarcidano. The area is of significant historical and archaeological interest. At the top of the hill, the remains of a nuraghe and the Roman and medieval settlement of Valenza emerge, with the ruins of the church of Santa Maria 'e Alenza. In the latter, the milestone - now lost - of Valentinian I and Valente was found, attesting to the restoration of the “Karalibus Ulbiam” road, of which the center represented an important station. About 280 m SE of the well temple is the Santu Millanu Nuraghe.
The well temple of Coni, built with blocks of basalt in a pseudo-isodoma work, although without a vestibule, repeats the classic architectural pattern of the Nuragic wells.
The monument consists of a descending staircase protected by a corridor (2.60 m long) and an underground chamber that houses the spring vein. The stairwell, with a trapezoidal plan and section (the width goes from 1.00 m above the ground to 0.70 m in the room), originally covered by slabs arranged in steps (left wall length m 1.12; right wall m 1.14; remaining height at the fifth step m 1.60), includes 5 steps (height 25 cm; tread cm 26/21). The wall covering of the stairwell consists, as already mentioned, of pseudo-isodoma blocks arranged in regular rows. Some blocks of marl and basalt, located in the highest part of the left wall, are foreign to the original structure. Of the “tholos” chamber, without the roof, there are now five rows of concrete blocks (30 cm in average height) and the foundation ring. The wall work of the cell consists of beautiful basaltic tailed ashlars. On the floor of the chamber, at the point where the water from the spring vein collected, there is a hemispherical cavity now hidden by the filling.
During the excavations, a small bronze of a praying woman, with a long flared skirt and a large cloak, was found, known as the 'praying matriarch'.

History of excavations
It was excavated in 1914 by Antonio Taramelli and Filippo Nissardi.

Bibliography
A. Taramelli, “Pre-Roman votive well, discovered in the Coni or Santu Millanu region”, in Notizie Savi, 1915, pp. 99-107;
G. Lilliu, “New well temples of Nuragic Sardinia”, in Sardinian Studies, XIV-XV, I, 1955-1957, p. 284; C. Lilliu, “Nuragus - Nu. Loc. Coni (Santu Millanu, Valenza)”, in The Sardis: Sardinia from the Paleolithic to the Roman Age, edited by E. Anati, Milan, Jaca Book, 1984;
G. Lilliu, The civilization of the Sardis from the Paleolithic to the Nuraghi Age, Turin, Nuova ERI, 1988;
F. Carrada, “Archaeological documents of the territory of Nuragus”, in The legacy of Sarcidano and Barbagia di Seulo. Heritage of knowledge and life, Cagliari, B&P, 2001, pp. 83-85.

How to get there
From the center of Nuragus, following the signs, you proceed along a paved track that leads to the well.