Asuni

The municipality of Asuni is located at the foot of Mount St. John, the big hill characterized by the presence of the famous “Marble of Asuni”, with its variegated range of colours, going from grey to green, to the famous pink marble.

Asuni territory has been inhabited since the Neolithic, as is indicated by the presence of many Domus de Janas. Domus were built in natural hollows on rocks of volcanic origin. They reach the utmost concentration in the necropolis of Budraga.

The whole of St. John’s nuraghic village (its tower looks over the village from the top of the hill of the same name) was fully rebuilt with the same rocks of volcanic origin. In the glamorous landscape that surrounds Asuni, there shines “Su stampu de muscione mannu”, a cave composed by two overlapping hollows, still partially unexplored. 
Asuni is also known for Medusa’s Castle (fifth -sixth century A.D.), built in Byzantine epoch to oversee and protect Marmilla territory from incursions and rape of Barbagia people. The castle is fully excavated in the marble. It stands on a spur sheer above the gully washed by the watersmeet of the rio Mannu and rio Araxiri (rivers). Limpid water perpetual springs, karstic caves, century-old holm oaks and gray crystalline marble rocky walls encircle the mysterious Castle, where legend has it that Queen Medusa’s ghost goes round.

Municipality official website: www.comune.asuni.or.it