Beneath Sardinia's rugged skin, carved into the rock and the island's ancient memory, the Domus de Janas—literally "fairy houses"—whisper stories of ancient rites, beliefs, and lost civilizations.
Today, those whispers have become a universal voice: the World Heritage Committee, meeting in Paris for its 47th session, has officially recognized these underground tombs as a World Heritage Site.
It is the 61st Italian site to enter the prestigious UNESCO list, a recognition that rewards not only the archaic beauty of the “domus” , but the entire collective imagination of a people who, five thousand years ago, built temples for the afterlife by carving them out of living stone.
The Domus de Janas are not simple tombs: they are negative narratives, carved into the earth. They are labyrinths of meaning, with symbolic decorations, ritual niches, and architectural plans that reflect an entire cosmology. They bear witness to the intimate relationship between the living and the dead, between Neolithic villages and their deceased, in an era when death was not an end, but a transition.
Scattered across the countryside, often hidden from view, these ancient tombs – over 2,500 throughout the island – are now becoming a beacon for world culture.
The serial site recognized by UNESCO includes several necropolises, particularly in central-northern Sardinia , and covers a time span from the 5th to the 3rd millennium BC, up to the Nuragic civilization.
The candidacy, strongly supported by the CeSIM Sardegna association and the Network of Domus de Janas Municipalities, with Alghero as the lead municipality, was supported by the Sardinia Region and curated by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the UNESCO Office, the Superintendencies, the Regional Directorate of Museums, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"The inclusion of the Domus de Janas in the UNESCO World Heritage List represents an extraordinary recognition for Sardinia and for Italy as a whole," commented Regional President Alessandra Todde . "It is a historic achievement that strengthens our communities' sense of belonging and opens up new opportunities for growth: from the development of sustainable cultural tourism to job creation, and even the valorization of inland areas and young local energies. With their widespread distribution and the symbolic richness of many decorated sites," President Todde continued, "the Domus de Janas bear witness to a profound cultural identity, now finally recognized internationally."
This concept is reiterated by the Councilor for Cultural Heritage, Ilaria Portas: "We are very satisfied because the inclusion of the Domus de Janas in the UNESCO World Heritage List is the final step in a journey that has finally given Sardinia's ancient history the importance it deserves."
The archaeological and naturalistic sites included in the project approved by UNESCO are:
1. Necropolis of Anghelu Ruju (Municipality of Alghero)
2. Necropolis of Puttu Codinu (Municipality of Villanova Monteleone)
3. Necropolis of Monte Siseri / S'Incantu (Municipality of Putifigari)
4. Necropolis of Mesu and Montes (Municipality of Ossi)
5. Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu (Municipality of Porto Torres)
6. Domus de janas of the Parish Benefit Garden (Municipality of Sennori)
7. Domus de Janas of the Elephant Rock (Municipality of Castelsardo)
8. Petroglyph Park (Municipality of Cheremule)
9. Necropolis of Sant'Andrea Priu (Municipality of Bonorva)
10. Necropolis of Sa Pala Larga (Municipality of Bonorva)
11. Necropolis of Los Forrighesos (Municipality of Anela)
12. Necropolis of Ispiluncas (Municipality of Sedilo)
13. Necropolis of Mandras / Mrandas (Municipality of Ardauli)
14. Necropolis of Brodu (Municipality of Oniferi)
15. Necropolis of Istevene (Municipality of Mamoiada)
16. Pranu Mutteddu Archaeological Park (Municipality of Goni)
17. Necropolis of Montessu (Municipality of Villaperuccio)