We are in the historic region of Marmilla, from the Latin "mammilla (breast)" due to the rounded shape of the hills in this area. At the summit of one of the main hills, at an altitude of 408 meters, stands the Genna Maria Nuraghe, which in the Sardinian language is known as Genn'e Mari, meaning "gateway to the sea." On particularly clear days, from up here you can spot the city of Cagliari to the south and the Gulf of Oristano to the west. It is one of the most scenic archaeological sites in Sardinia. The view stretches across 53 villages and a varied landscape: the Campidàno plain, the nearby Monte Arci from which obsidian was mined, the volcanic plateaus called 'giare' and, to the north, the Gennàrgentu mountains, the tallest on the island. The term Genna, as well as meaning 'gate', also means 'pass' or 'crossing', and it is believed that the Nuragic settlement was built to control the road below, which connected this area with the coastal areas of Oristano.
The nuraghe was already known to scholars since the middle of the 19th century but, at the time, it was completely buried and the entire hill was used for growing grain.
It is not among the largest nuraghi, but it is certainly one of the most important, due to both its strategic position and the considerable number of artifacts found there, now on display in the Villanovaforru archaeological museum.
