An old explanatory panel, now worn by time, stands at the entrance to the Corchinas hill, intrigues and invites you to proceed further, but you can't because everything is closed. The archaeological site of Cornus, the ancient coastal city , is inaccessible to visitors and completely invaded by weeds . A desolate scenario that has been repeated for several years every spring and does not honor the important historical role of the Punic, then early Christian city, and discourages the many tourists and enthusiasts who would like to visit it .
After the 2024 excavations coordinated by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage of Cagliari-Oristano, a deathly silence has fallen on the ancient town and necropolis, only the weeds, in this somewhat rainy spring, grow lush and melancholically cover the ancient remains, to the great regret of visitors who complain about the lack of guides, information and services. The 390 thousand euro project (300 thousand from the Region plus another 90 thousand from the Cuglieri Pilot Project) for the maintenance and enhancement of the entire area is at a standstill. There is only the preliminary document that was included in the three-year public works program 2025-27 by the municipal administration led by Andrea Loche who states «we are almost ready to start it». This is a project, in agreement with the Superintendence, for the care of the site, with further excavations in Corchinas, then the fences up to Columbaris, arrangement of the caretaker's house, new electrical system and water network. Necessary interventions to create safe visiting routes.
But still nothing and curious and visitors, enchanted by the breathtaking coasts of Santa Caterina and S'Archittu, cannot discover the rich history of the territory because the site is inaccessible.
It requires cleaning, continuous maintenance and grass cutting that the Municipality can only do with authorization from the Superintendence. The body of the Ministry of Culture that governs the territory from 2020 to today has invested 700 thousand euros for the study, safety and enhancement of the archaeological site, one of the most important in Sardinia. Last year, "the structures of the funerary basilica, the episcopal basilica and the baptismal hall were consolidated, thus a new built sector emerged in the southern part of the complex", explains the ministerial body. Archaeology, which could be one of the strong points of the tourist development of Cuglieri, has not fully taken off. Yet the Municipality and the Superintendence, the only bodies responsible for caring for and managing the historical asset, have a defined project: an archaeological itinerary that, passing from the sites to the museum spaces, can offer visitors a complete cultural journey, but still all to be realized.
