Sardinia offers visitors something difficult to define and describe with words that nevertheless is felt when one comes in contact with this ancient land, rich in the history that influenced its culture and art. An observant traveller will certainly sense the uniqueness of the environment and rough terrain that offsets the wealth and variety of artistic and architectural monuments from over a vast period of time, from the prehistoric to the Punic Era, from Roman, early Christian, and Romanesque periods up to the present day.
Monuments from this island's most ancient history dominate the countryside. A monument that is unique to Sardinia and still shrouded in mystery is the nuraghe: a cone-shaped tower sometimes reaching 20 meters in height which was built with enormous stones laid in concentric circles andi held together without any form ot mortar. Today there are more than 7,000 of these structures lining the crests ot hills and rising up from small promontories, which makes Sardinia the largest open-air museum in the world. Other monuments attest to the island's primeval history: the "dornus de jarias" (the home of the fairies) which were actually small tombs excavated in the rocks. the 'giants tombs' (built with such enormous stones that popular credence believed were the work ogf giants), dolmen, and menhirs.

Traces ot the Phoenician and Carthage civilizations are more difficult to identity. In fact, most ot these mins are situated under the modern cities of Olbia, Santa Giusta, Sant'Antioco and even Cagliari, when the most ancient traces of the Phoenician city ot Karalis have been discovered below its S. Avendrace quarter. Nevertheless, the Phoenician city "par excellence" is Tharros: here various buildings have been brought to light, including the most important Punic temple in the Mediterranean area constructed between the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C.
The Roman civilization has also left its mark. In the southern region in Tharros and Nora, ancient roads, buildings and temples from the Punic era "renovated' by the Romans have been discovered.
Under the rule of Augustus, temples, aqueducts, baths and amphitheaters were built, roads were rebuilt and marked with milestones, while lavish country villas were constructed in the surrounding countryside.
The last great mark left by history are the enormous Romanesque cathedrals, built between 1100 and 1300 in the somber Pisan-Romanesque style, which are some ot the most beautitul monuments in Sardinia.
Thus the region of Sardinia is a marvelous heritage of natural resources, culture and folklore, ethnic musical traditions, poetry and literature in the Sardinian language, museums and libraries filled with artifacts from the past, ethnographic collections, priceless artisan handiwork, opulent cathedrals, archaeological monuments, and architectural and artistic masterpieces from various epoches: bulwarks, towers, bastions, palaces, coastal fortresses, and even petrified forests.