Mont'e Prama Necropolis to Become Open-Air Museum via Design Competition

The Mont'e Prama Foundation launched a design competition on October 7, 2022, to transform the Sardinian necropolis of Mont'e Prama into an open-air museum. The site, in the province of Oristano, is famous for the Giant statues (Kolossoi) — 38 sandstone sculptures dating between the 9th and 13th centuries BCE, possibly older than Greek kouroi. Discovered accidentally by farmers in 1974, excavations have revealed about 150 cist and pit tombs, traces of Nuragic villages, and statue fragments of boxers, archers, and warriors. Restoration of the statues was completed in the early 2000s at the Centro di Restauro e Conservazione di Li Punti in Sassari. The statues are currently housed at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Cagliari and the Museo Civico di Cabras, with a photo exhibition dedicated to them at Palazzo Reale di Genova throughout October 2022. Foundation president Anthony Muroni stated the goal is a major restoration and monumentalization to make Mont'e Prama a reference point for the next decade, involving research centers and universities in reconstructing the monumental and landscape complex. Participants have 60 days from the publication date to submit proposals for architectural layout, accessibility, walkways, rest areas, and informational signage. Cabras mayor Andrea Abis emphasized the project's centrality to cultural itineraries and tourism promotion.