Sardinia Archeo Festival, at S’Arcu ’e is Forros archaeology, art and cinema under the stars of the Gennargentu
08/18/2026
On Friday, August 28 the festival stops in Villagrande Strisaili: visit to the Nuragic cult complex, the site-specific installation “Tappinozio di Mezzaestate” by Valerio Pisano, an aperitif with local products and archaeological cinema with “S’Ozzastru” by Carolina Melis and “Vitrum. Il vetro dei romani” by Marcello Adamo.
Archaeology, contemporary art and cinema, immersed in the landscape and, for those who wish, a night to be spent under the stars of the Gennargentu. On Friday, August 28 the Sardinia Archeo Festival resumes its journey across the island and arrives at the archaeological site of S’Arcu ’e is Forros, in Villagrande Strisaili, for a day built around the encounter between research, outreach, images, artistic languages and territory.The event is organized by the Itzokor Cultural Association, promoter of the Sardinia Archeo Festival, in collaboration with Archeonova, the company that manages the site, and with the Archeovisiva Cultural Association ETS, which organizes the Festival of Archaeological Communication and Cinema of Licodia Eubea in Sicily.Inside S’Arcu ’e is ForrosThe program starts at 6 p.m. with a thematic guided tour of the Nuragic cult complex. It is the first step of a journey designed to connect the archaeological site with the surrounding landscape and with different ways of narrating and interpreting heritage.Into this space also comes the contemporary art of Valerio Pisano, protagonist of “Tappinozio di Mezzaestate”, a site-specific installation conceived especially for the occasion. Starting from the unit of measurement that characterizes his stylistic signature, the Bic pen cap, Pisano builds an encounter between words, matter, shapes and visions, making history and storytelling, past and present, dialogue.At 8 p.m. the program moves to conviviality with an aperitif under the Gennargentu, accompanied by a platter of local products. A moment of sharing between public, guests and territory that is part of the participatory dimension on which the Sardinia Archeo Festival has built its path.Archaeological cinema under the starsAs evening falls, images will tell other forms of memory. At 9 p.m. the screenings carried out as part of the collaboration with Archeovisiva begin, with two works that address from different perspectives the relationship between heritage, scientific research, nature and cinematic storytelling.Opening the evening will be “S’Ozzastru”, a 2023 short film directed by Carolina Melis, with scientific consultancy by Elisa Guidelli and produced by Nical Films. Eight minutes built around the story of a millenary wild olive tree and its ability to traverse time.In 2021 the tree was caught in the devastating fire that struck Sardinia, destroying 28,000 hectares of land and thousands of animals. A year later the wild olive tree sprouted again. From that rebirth takes shape the story of a silent witness to the passage of time and of a nature capable of resisting the wounds inflicted by man.Next will be screened “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, with scientific consultancy by B. Davidde, F. Cibecchini, I. Freestone and R. Petriaggi.The film takes us to the Mediterranean, off the coast of Corsica, where after two thousand years a Roman wreck re-emerges with its cargo of raw glass and refined artifacts. Aboard the Alfred Merlin, an international team of female archaeologists uses advanced technologies to investigate the wreck and reconstruct ancient trade routes, following the traces of the role played by glass in the Roman Empire and in the history of civilization.The day can continue even after the cinema. Those who wish can bring their own tent and spend the night under the stars, thus completing an experience in which archaeology, landscape, art, cinema and conviviality are brought together in a single journey.Participation and bookingsParticipation in the whole day costs 15 euros and places are available by reservation. For information on how to participate and to reserve your place, you can contact Archeonova at 378 3027077 or Itzokor at 328 0570071.Founded in 2019, the Sardinia Archeo Festival carries forward a project of outreach that connects archaeology, history, geography, anthropology and current affairs through different languages, with the aim of distributing activities across different territories of Sardinia and creating connections between Cagliari and the island's towns.The festival is promoted by the Itzokor Cultural Association, founded in Cagliari in 2001 on the initiative of a group of young university students of archaeology and committed to the outreach and enhancement of Sardinia's archaeological, historical and artistic heritage. Since 2019 the association has also established the Paolo Bernardini Prize for Outreach in Archaeology, dedicated to the memory of archaeologist and university professor Paolo Bernardini.Also in 2026 the Sardinia Archeo Festival counts on the support of the Fondazione di Sardegna and on the collaboration of public bodies, municipal administrations, associations and organizations active in research, outreach and enhancement of cultural heritage. ClassiCult is the official media partner of the edition.
