Between the 19th and 9th century BC the site of nuraghe Orolo was built and inhabited.

The oldest core is the central tower; later a bastion with two towers was added.

The supposed abandonment of the complex is dated to the 9th century BC.

The site was frequented again in the Roman Republican age; evidence is documented at least until the 5th century AD.

THE CENTRAL TOWER

The heart of nuraghe Orolo is the main tower, or keep, today over 14 metres high. It is built with basaltic trachyte blocks, larger at the base and smaller in the upper courses.

Inside, on two different levels, are two superimposed chambers with a false dome ceiling, the tholos. The lower chamber’s dome is only partly preserved, while the upper one is still complete.

In the entrance corridor, on the lower level, a helical staircase leads to the upper floor; slits provide light and air. On the top of the keep the perimeter of a third chamber has been identified.

THE BASTION AND SIDE TOWERS

A bastion with two towers is partly built against the keep. The walls are made of large roughly hewn blocks laid in courses and interspersed with smaller stones.

The bastion entrance is aligned with that of the keep; a covered corridor links the two entrances and gives access to the side towers.

The western tower has an elongated chamber with a preserved tholos ceiling and a slit. The eastern one has a more regular circular chamber, without further openings to the outside.

THE NURAGIC VILLAGE

Around the nuraghe extended a village of huts. Ten have a circular plan with adjoining rectangular rooms; six others are quadrangular, some perhaps with an apse.

Part of the settlement, to the south, seems to be bounded by an outer wall, the antemurale.

Nuraghe Orolo lies in a territory rich in archaeological evidence. Nearby are the nuraghi of Coattos, Carrarzu Iddìa, Tintirriolos and Aidu Entos; a little further north the domus de janas of Orolo have also been identified.

Excavation and restoration were carried out by the Superintendency in 1997.

At the end of 2020 new investigations concerned the monument. Partial examination of the collapse deposits brought to light four steps of the internal staircase, previously hidden by debris; work on the summit identified the perimeter of the third chamber.

Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio for Sassari and Nuoro, “Bortigali (NU). Nuraghe Orolo. Relazione scientifica”, 19 July 2022.

SardegnaCultura, “Bortigali, Nuraghe Orolo”.

SardegnaTurismo, “Nuraghe Orolo”.

Wikipedia, “Nuraghe Orolo”.

In Sardinian òrolo means “edge, ridge, margin”. The name may refer to the edge of the promontory on which the nuraghe stands.

The interpretation, however, is not certain.