In Barumini there is the dwelling of the Zapata family, whose building was ordered by Don Azor, alcalde of Cagliari, at the end of the 16th century, over the ruins of a nuraghe. Since 2006, the Spanish residence has been a museum centre.
The building is a rare example of Hispanic civil architecture in Sardinia, built based on classical-style models. The residence is divided into two floors. The façade has a portal and windows with tympana resting on smooth columns with a double torus base, grooved door-jamb and coffered capitals. The family crest is carved into the central tympanum: a vermilion shield with three gold-checked shoes. The same elegance can also be seen in the staircase.
Inside Casa Zapata two towers are visible (central and eastern), while the other two, the double defence wall and the village are outside the palace. In 1990, the 'musealization' of the house began, in order to enhance the value of the findings from the nearby Nuraxi, an important evidence of the Nuragic civilization. It was found that it had been built over another complex nuraghe, renamed Nuraxi e' Cresia because of its proximity to the parish church, frequented between the 14th and 10th century b.C. The excavations safeguarded the structure of the house and, at the same time, made the view of the complex visible from above, with suspended walkways and transparent floors.
The nuraghe is part of the archaeological section of the museum, along with a collection of over 180 artefacts found at Su Nuraxi, among which a famous model of a nuraghe made of limestone. Another two sections are set up in the ancient rustic courtyard adjoining the palace: the historical-archival section and the ethnographical section.
Fondazione Sardegna Film Commission
Via Malta 63 — 09124 Cagliari
Phone: +39 070 2041961
Email: filmcommission@regione.sardegna.it
