We reach the starting point of the itinerary by car and then a steep climb awaits us.

Along the way and thanks to a peculiar perspective which distorts the view of the mountain, we can make out a mysterious human profile, by many likened to Napoleon Bonaparte.

The green grass is dotted with wild orchids. Further afield, our gaze can roam to the dunes of Piscinas – from our vantage point we can take in their majestic vastness, forming a coastal band while a long tongue stretches into the vegetation at the back of the coast.

Although the summit is relatively close to our starting point, the climb is certainly not easy.

On the rocky walls some bas-reliefs in copper mark out the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) testimony to the fact that for the faithful this has always been – and still is – a place of prayer.

During past centuries, on the summit of the Arcuentu mountain it was still possible to see the ruins of the Castello Erculentu, but already in the 19th century all that remained were three great stone cisterns for water storage.
Built in medieval times, this castle is thought to have played an important strategic role in the defence of the mining area, a source of great riches for the Giudicato (minor kingdom) of Arborea. The top of this 784 m hill indeed offers an all-round view over most of the Campidano plain as far as the Gulf of Oristano.

Once on the summit we find a small but fine holm oak wood which has chosen this splendid spot as its habitat. Our gaze wanders all around and the winds, spreading the scents of the Mediterranean brush, add to our appreciation of the reward for climbing up Monte Arcuentu.

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