On the plain between Sassari and Porto Torres rises the complex of Monte d'Accoddi, a monumental structure unique throughout the Mediterranean basin.
The building, dating back over five thousand years, resembles Mesopotamian ziggurats in its form: a large pyramid with superimposed truncated levels preceded by a very long upward access ramp, designed to lead priests toward the upper platform consecrated to the sky.
Archaeological surveys identify two distinct construction phases. The first structure, known as the red temple due to the painted plaster that covered its walls, was subsequently engulfed within a second, larger altar built with imposing blocks of raw limestone. The site was the beating heart of religious ceremonies for the area's Neolithic populations, a devotional meeting point linked to the cycles of the earth and the seasons.
At the foot of the ramp, the area preserves lithic elements of strong ritual significance: a large limestone menhir, some perforated slabs used for sacrifices or liquid offerings, and two large spherical granite boulders that likely represented the sun and the moon. The materials recovered around the altar, including fragments of decorated pottery, statuettes of the Mother Goddess, and remains of communal meals, confirm the centrality of this sanctuary throughout Sardinian prehistory.
