We are in the middle of Christmas and we are all looking forward to closing our many commitments to chase traditions that, at times, leave us more stressed than joyful.

In these days it is easier to reflect on what, from time immemorial, makes this moment of the year so magical, and bases its roots in primordial mysteries.

We all know that the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year; from the astronomical point of view the winter begins, but even if on the exact day of the solstice, the duration of the hours of the day is minimal and that of the hours of the night is maximum, it will be from the following day that the days will begin to lengthen.

This year the phenomenon of the Winter Solstice will occur, in the northern hemisphere, at 11.23 pm on Friday 21 December.

Given these premises we understand why, since antiquity, this particular moment of the year was loaded with symbolic meanings; the rebirth of light over darkness, the renewal of the cycle of the seasons, which in a broader sense becomes the cycle of life. The transition from the triumph of darkness, given by the solstice, immediately overwhelmed by the ‘rebirth’ of the sun that, from that day on, and always in a more evident form, takes over the days and the world.

And this is why, precisely in this ancient ‘festival’ and of the phenomenon, Christian tradition has been seized, making the birth of Christ, of light, of life, of love par excellence coincide, precisely on December 25th, linked date inextricably to the Solstice.

The nuraghe, a monument that celebrates the solstice?

Sardinia is a land strewn with sites, monuments, ancient buildings, mysterious and absolutely fascinating, that still have a lot to tell and that seem to have been designed to celebrate the Winter Solstice.

For example, in many nuraghi, openings, small windows, doors, glimpses between the boulders have been arranged, in order to observe the phenomenon of the Solstice in its two culminating moments, sunrise and sunset and, under certain circumstances, allow us to witness luminous phenomena which, while maintaining an aura of mystery, are evidently wanted by the ancient builders of the complexes.

Sardinia is obviously not a unique case in the world in this sense; many are the ancient archaeological complexes linked to two-stranded moments of particular astronomical importance that take on symbolic and religious importance, just think of the complex of Stonehenge, for the summer solstice, or the Egyptian pyramids.

But in the case of the nuraghe, it seems that the phenomenon of the penetration of the sun inside the main chamber and the creation of silhouettes of light directly attributable to the sacred, are definitive and clear examples of the celebration of the winter solstice.

Winter solstice at Nuraghe Lobaos II

In this context and to immerse ourselves in the mysterious magic of the phenomenon we organized an event that will lead us to deepen the symbolic, religious and astronomical significance of the winter solstice in the cultures of the ancient inhabitants of our island.

To do so, we will visit the Nuraghe Lobaos II, which will allow us to witness the phenomenon thanks to its very particular characteristics; a small window above the entrance which, in the days of the winter solstice, projects a triangular light beam at sunrise. And it is in these very few moments in which we should see, in this luminous shape, an upturned bull’s head, almost symbolizing a wounded bull, in decline.

But the amazement will continue to see that, shortly after this first ‘appearance’, from a second opening, the sun will project a new small triangle with the base upwards, a perfect taurine protome, a rising bull.

If you also want to experience this exciting experience, take part in our event, we are waiting for you on December 22nd!

In the meantime, discover the program!