Nora

Nora occupies a low promontory with sea on three sides and is generally described as one of the oldest towns in Sardinia, founded by Phoenicians and later a Roman municipium. Mosaic floors, a theatre, baths and a street grid survive; because the land has subsided relative to the sea, part of the town is now submerged in shallow water and visible from the shore or by snorkelling. The Nora Stone, found here in the eighth century BC layer, carries the earliest known written occurrence of the name Sardinia, and is held in the Cagliari museum. A small church of Sant'Efisio stands beside the site.

History

Pausanias, writing in the 2nd century, recorded the legend that Iberians led by Norax founded Nora as the first city on the island. An indigenous village here became a Phoenician trading post and then a city that flourished under Carthage; the Nora Stone, a Phoenician inscription, was found here in 1773, and the town came under Roman control after the conquest of Sardinia in 238 BC (Wikipedia, Nora, Italy).

The main sights

• The submerged quarter - streets and structures in shallow water offshore.
• The mosaic floors - Roman house and bath pavements in situ.
• The theatre - a small Roman theatre still used for summer performances.
• The Nora Stone story - the earliest known written form of Sardinia.

When to go

April to June and September to October; the site is open and shadeless. Summer performances use the theatre. The adjacent beach is busy in August.

What to expect

The submerged part is only visible in calm clear water and needs snorkelling. There is no shade. The Nora Stone itself is in Cagliari.

Nearby

Chia lies west; Cagliari is northeast.

Key facts