This territory stands out for an environmental and historical heritage of great importance, the result of a thousand-year balance between nature and human presence. Among the most significant areas are the Giara plateau and the ancient obsidian mining area of Monte Arci, two places of inestimable value from a natural, archaeological and cultural point of view.
The Giara: an ecosystem of extraordinary biodiversity
The Giara is a vast basalt plateau with a one-of-a-kind landscape and a largely unspoilt natural environment. The vegetation is dominated by holm oaks, Mediterranean scrub and wild grasslands, while the typical paùli — natural depressions that fill with water during the rainy months — play a key role for local wildlife.
The area is famous for the Giara ponies, one of the oldest equine breeds in Europe, a symbol of adaptation and resilience. Alongside them live many species of birds, amphibians and reptiles, making the Giara an environment of high scientific and natural interest. Its protection relies on targeted conservation policies that regulate access and promote sustainable use.
The ancient obsidian mine: a testimony of prehistory
The Monte Arci massif is one of the most important sources of obsidian in the western Mediterranean. This volcanic material, used since the Neolithic to make tools, weapons and everyday implements, played a central role in the development of the first human communities.
The so-called obsidian mines were open-air extraction and working areas, where people selected the material and turned it into artefacts. Numerous archaeological finds show how Monte Arci obsidian was traded on a large scale, reaching different areas of Sardinia and the Mediterranean basin.
A heritage to value and protect
The Giara and the ancient obsidian mine are two complementary elements of the territorial heritage: the first an expression of a naturally beautiful ecosystem, the second a symbol of human ingenuity and the earliest productive and trading activities. Valuing them means promoting responsible, mindful tourism: protecting these areas means preserving not only a landscape, but also the identity and memory of a unique territory.