Sardinia Archeo Festival in Villagrande Strisaili: archaeology, art and cinema under the stars
Friday, August 28 the festival stops at S’Arcu ’e is Forros with a guided tour of the Nuragic site, contemporary art, an aperitif with local products and archaeological cinema under the stars of the Gennargentu
August 18, 2026 by Marco Cau
The Sardinia Archeo Festival returns to narrate the island's archaeological heritage with a stop at S’Arcu ’e is Forros, in Villagrande Strisaili, scheduled for Friday, August 28. The day will combine research, outreach, contemporary art, cinema and conviviality, with the possibility of concluding the experience by spending the night under the stars of the Gennargentu.The initiative is promoted by the Itzokor Cultural Association, creator of the Sardinia Archeo Festival, together with Archeonova, which manages the archaeological site, and the Archeovisiva Cultural Association ETS, organizer in Sicily of the Festival of Archaeological Communication and Cinema of Licodia Eubea.The program will begin at 6 p.m. with a thematic guided tour of the Nuragic cult complex. The tour will be dedicated to the relationship between the site, the surrounding landscape and the different ways in which archaeological heritage can be studied, interpreted and communicated.Also engaging with the space of S’Arcu ’e is Forros will be the art of Valerio Pisano, author of “Tappinozio di Mezzaestate”, a site-specific installation created especially for the event. The work stems from the element that identifies the artist’s research, the Bic pen cap, and brings together words, matter, shapes and images. The result will be a dialogue between the history of the place and contemporary forms of storytelling, with a connection between past and present.At 8 p.m. an aperitif is scheduled under the Gennargentu with a platter of local products. The convivial moment will accompany the encounter between public, guests and territory, a dimension that characterizes the stops of the Sardinia Archeo Festival and its way of promoting knowledge of places.The cinema part will start at 9 p.m., with two works selected as part of the collaboration with Archeovisiva. The films address, from different perspectives, the relationship between memory, heritage, scientific research and audiovisual narration.The first title in the program is “S’Ozzastru”, a 2023 short film directed by Carolina Melis, with scientific consultancy by Elisa Guidelli and produced by Nical Films. In eight minutes, the film tells the story of a millenary wild olive tree, a witness to the passage of time and nature's ability to react to transformations.The tree was caught in the devastating fire that struck Sardinia in 2021, causing the destruction of 28,000 hectares of land and the death of thousands of animals. A year later, the wild olive tree sprouted again, becoming a symbol of nature wounded by human action but still capable of being reborn.The second screening will be “Vitrum. Il vetro dei romani – Rome’s glass revolution”, a 2025 documentary directed by Marcello Adamo and produced by Filmare Entertainment and GA&A Productions. The film makes use of the scientific consultancy of B. Davidde, F. Cibecchini, I. Freestone and R. Petriaggi.The story unfolds in the Mediterranean, off the coast of Corsica, where a Roman wreck that remained submerged for two thousand years reveals a cargo of raw glass and refined artifacts. Aboard the Alfred Merlin, an international group of female archaeologists employs advanced technologies to study the wreck and reconstruct ancient trade routes.The underwater investigation thus becomes the starting point for exploring the role played by glass in the Roman Empire and its contribution to changes in the history of civilization.At the end of the screenings, the stay at S’Arcu ’e is Forros can continue for those who choose to bring a tent and sleep outdoors. Participation in the whole day costs 15 euros and requires booking.For information and reservations, you can contact Archeonova at 378.3027077 or Itzokor at 328.0570071.
