Balaiana Castle, Luogosanto, Italy

The Balaiana Castle is situated on Mount San Leonardo, at 299 metres above sea level, dominating the surrounding valley. You can walk through a staircase carved between granite rocks where the start path is located in the parking area, just 5 km from the village, on the road to Arzachena.

The castle's unique architecture, with features such as the special interlocking blocks of granite corners, dates back to the 12th century. The castle was destroyed by the army of Alfonso of Aragon, who had razed the structure almost completely to the ground in 1442.

The small church dedicated to San Leonardo was built as a chapel of the castle and is a rare example of Romanesque architecture in Gallura. The chapel can be reached via a path just a few dozen metres north of the Castle. The similarity between the churches in Corsica suggests that in the second half of the 12th century there was a shift between the islands of the Mediterranean and the manufacturers who used the granite stone.

References:

gallurago.com

Argos Theater

The ancient Argos Theater was built in 320 BC. and is located in Argos, Greece against Larissa Hill. Nearby from this site is Agora, Roman Odeon, and the Baths of Argos. The theater is one of the largest architectural developments in Greece and was renovated in ca 120 AD.

The Hellenistic theater at Argos is cut into the hillside of the Larisa, with 90 steps up a steep incline, forming a narrow rectilinear cavea. Among the largest theaters in Greece, it held about 20,000 spectators and is divided by two landings into three horizontal sections. Staircases further divide the cavea into four cunei, corresponding to the tribes of Argos A high wall was erected to prevent unauthorized access into the theatron and may have helped the acoustics, but it is said the sound quality is still very good today.

Around 120 CE, both theaters were renovated in the Roman style.

claudio arru (5 years ago)
Bisogna faticare per arrivarci ma gode di una bella vista. Ps. Portarsi una penna

Riccardo Sanna (5 years ago)
Nature, History, Religion and Relax! Picnic area with tables and chairs! Path with steps leading up to the top of the Hill. From there you can enjoy a breathtaking view!

F Exslager (6 years ago)
Not the easiest to reach- be prepared for increasing heartbeat- but the view is worth it!

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