Two days of open excavation on June 24th and 25th

PRESS RELEASE

SASSARI. During the renovation works of the Central Administration Buildings of the University of Sassari (buildings in Piazza Università – ex Estanco – Palazzo Zirulia), important archaeological evidence emerged that rewrite some pages of the city's history.

In agreement between the University and the Superintendency, the excavation area will be exceptionally open to the public on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 June, from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 16:00, with controlled access in a dedicated portion of the construction site.

The presentation press conference was attended by Andrea Fausto Piana, Deputy Pro-Rector of the University of Sassari; Isabella Fera, Superintendent of the "Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Sassari and Nuoro"; Nadia Canu, Officer responsible for the archaeological protection of the territory of Sassari; Simone Loddo, Director of the procurement and construction area of ​​the University of Sassari. Also present were Professor Marco Milanese, full professor of Medieval Archaeology at the University of Sassari, and the Mayor Giuseppe Mascia.

The findings, which occurred in the courtyard of the former Estanco, emerged during excavations for the construction of a new “sunbreak” structure for the fire escape and systems. The archaeological investigations, conducted under the high supervision of the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Provinces of Sassari and Nuoro, brought to light complex stratifications that include medieval wall structures, canals, production plants, landfills, burials and the remains of a possible tower. The most recent materials document phases between the end of the 15th and the 17th century, shedding new light on the birth of the Jesuit College, the original nucleus of the University of Sassari.

Among the most significant discoveries are the possible remains of a medieval wall, with two distinct phases; a rectangular structure with rusticated blocks, perhaps a quadrangular tower, whose presence was hypothesized by a historical table by Enrico Costa (1899); funerary deposits and layers linked to artisanal workmanship.

The investigations are directed by the archaeologist Nadia Canu, with execution entrusted to the Musarte cooperative (field archaeologist Sara Solinas) and the scientific support of Professor Marco Milanese. The materials will be studied in the Laboratory of Medieval Archaeology in collaboration with the Superintendency official Matteo Pipia, while genetic analyses of the skeletal remains will be carried out by Prof. Francesco Cucca, full professor of Medical Genetics. The renovation project, worth approximately 7.5 million euros financed by the Fund for Development and Cohesion, is followed by the Procurement and Construction Area of ​​the University of Sassari, RUP Eng. Simone Loddo, with the Works Management of Arch. Piersimone Simonetti. The finds, due to their depth and conservation conditions, will not be permanently visible, but will be protected under the new flooring and made inspectable through trapdoors.

The University and the Superintendency are committed to promoting and communicating these results through scientific publications and innovative digital tools such as 3D models, projections and video mapping, in a broader project dedicated to the reconstruction and dissemination of the urban history of Sassari.