The Domus de Janas (literally, the “Houses of the Spirits”) are funereal places, tombs carved in rock and dispersed throughout a large part of Sardinia and identified - according to local traditions - as the dwelling place of the Janas, mythical beings that resemble wizards or witches. The recess inside of the wall of the Cittadella dei Musei, chosen by Maria Dompè, evokes and recreates the ancient rural tombs, laden with their fabled destinations. The slight curve of the wall in blocks of travertine seem to protect and shelter but without closing the house from the outside, leaving clearly visible the spiral of the rope that from inside of the house of the spirits suggests an atmosphere of a frugal but warm welcome.

Laura Iamurri