The Domus de Janas: Sardinia’s newly recognized UNESCO Heritage

Seventeen prehistoric Domus de Janas have just become UNESCO World Heritage in 2025. Explore Sardinia’s mysterious rock-cut tombs and their enduring legacy.

8/23/20253 min read

A new UNESCO recognition in Sardinia

In July 2025, UNESCO officially recognized 17 necropolises of Domus de Janas (“fairy houses”), adding them to the World Heritage List as Sardinia’s 61st Italian UNESCO site.

These prehistoric rock-cut tombs date back to the Neolithic period (4th–3rd millennium BC) and represent one the island’s most extraordinary legacies. Spread across the island, the Domus de Janas are often decorated with carvings, symbols, and red ochre, offering a glimpse into the spiritual life of the ancient communities who built them.

Standing before these carved chambers means stepping into the silence of five thousand years ago. Inside, traces of red ochre, geometric motifs, and symbolic carvings still whisper of rituals and beliefs, revealing fragments of a worldview where life and death were deeply connected to the land.

What are the Domus de Janas?

More than simple tombs, the Domus de Janas are true underground sanctuaries. Dug directly into the rock, they reflect the bond between Sardinia’s earliest societies and the land itself.

Walking through these narrow passages, you don’t just “visit” an archaeological site, you feel part of a timeless story, one that connects myth, ritual, and everyday life.

And they are just one piece of Sardinia’s vast prehistoric heritage. Alongside them rise the Nuraghi, the Giants’ Tombs, and the Sacred Wells, monuments unique in the world that we will explore in future stories. Together, they make Sardinia a true open-air museum of the Mediterranean.

The 17 newly recognized UNESCO sites

Here are the necropolises officially included in the World Heritage List:

Necropoli di Anghelu Ruju (Alghero, SS)
Necropoli di Puttu Codinu (Villanova Monteleone, SS)
Necropoli di Monte Siseri / S’Incantu (Putifigari, SS)
Necropoli di Mesu e Montes (Ossi, SS)
Necropoli di Su Crucifissu Mannu (Porto Torres, SS)
Domus de Janas dell’Orto del Beneficio Parrocchiale (Sennori, SS)
Domus de Janas della Roccia dell’Elefante (Castelsardo, SS)
Parco dei Petroglifi (Cheremule, SS)
Necropoli di Sant’Andrea Priu (Bonorva, SS)
Necropoli di Sa Pala Larga (Bonorva, SS)
Necropoli di Sos Furrighesos (Anela, SS)
Necropoli di Ispiluncas (Sedilo, OR)
Necropoli di Mandras/Mrandas (Ardauli, OR)
Necropoli di Brodu (Oniferi, NU)
Necropoli di Istevene (Mamoiada, NU)
Parco Archeologico di Pranu Mutteddu (Goni, CA)
Necropoli di Montessu (Villaperuccio, SU)

But remember: these are only the UNESCO-listed ones. Archaeologists estimate there are over 3,500 Domus de Janas spread throughout Sardinia, making them one of the most extensive prehistoric archaeological sites in the Mediterranean.

The UNESCO recognition of the Domus de Janas is not just a certificate, it is an invitation to discover Sardinia beyond its beaches.

It is an opportunity to walk into the island’s prehistoric heart, where life, death, and spirituality were carved in stone.

Exploring them means reconnecting with an ancient past that still resonates today and realizing that Sardinia is not only a land of sea and sun, but also a place where history and myth live side by side, waiting to be rediscovered.

Ready to explore Sardinia’s prehistoric treasures? Start planning your tailor-made journey with local insights, Plan Your Trip.

Practical information for visitors

Best time to visit: spring (April -June) and autumn (September - October), when the weather is mild and sites are less crowded.

How to get there: the 17 UNESCO necropolises are concentrated mainly in the north and center of Sardinia, easily reachable from the airports of Alghero and Olbia, both connected by direct flights to major European cities. But Domus de Janas exist across the whole island, from the south to the heart of the interior.

What to expect: some sites are part of organized archaeological parks with guided tours and visitor facilities, while others remain hidden among landscapes where nature still dominates.

Why they matter

The UNESCO recognition of the Domus de Janas is not just a certificate, it is an invitation to discover Sardinia beyond its beaches.

It is an opportunity to walk into the island’s prehistoric heart, where life, death, and spirituality were carved in stone.