Un'estate a Porto Conte, Walking in the Park

Porto Ninfeo and other stories
'Nympheus Portus' can be considered the actual area of Porto Conte and Sant'Imbenia where the remains of an amazing maritime villa had been found some years ago. The word ninfeo reminds to ancient times. Its origins dated back to 150. 200 AD. Sant'Imbenia is situaded in Porto Conte area. This villa was characterized by baths and mosaics. In ancient times this site was characterized as the site of the sea nymphs, it was also a natural or artificial cavern or cove with spring water. Anciently the area of Ninfeo had a particular monumental fountain with water games, Characteristic of Greek and Roman world. The setting was sometimes rectangular or circular with vault, at times it was columned, enriched by statues, cloisters, pictures and mosaics. As it can be guessed by the remains of Sant'Imbenia.

Since the ancient times, Portus Nympheus has been considered a sacred place, the denomination of 'Porto Ninfeo' given to Porto Conte is of Greek origins inspired to a religion in which was thought that the coasts were inhabited by very different spirits of the nature or the universe such as elves, giants, sprites, gnomes and faires such as House of Fates, called by Sardinian people "domus de janas". This usually happened in the most attractive points. The first one to indicate the name "Portus Nynphaeus" was the Geograph Pausania. Pausanias (Greek: Παυσανίας) was a Greek traveller and geographer of the 2nd century A.D., who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. He is famous for his Description of Greece (Ἑλλάδος περιήγησις), a lengthy work that describes ancient Greece
For some authors this natural harbour has antique origins as its caves and caverns were according to the tradition inhabited by fairies such as 'Calmedia' and 'Carbia' and in their honour two cities were founded giving their own names. For the same authors the city of Calmedia was in the bay of Porto Conte. Their ruins can be noted in the archeological site named Sant'Imbenia which can be the corruption of the vulgar name "Calmedia" when there was a main church and a fountain of salubre water. Sant'Igore on the other hand is the name given by the ancient population of an ancient destroyed village.
For Antoniano's itinerary which describes the way from Turris to Carles, we have two very important 'stations' nearby Alghero, one was Nure which names recalls the area of whole Nurra and Carbia, situated not vey far from Alghero. 'Nympheus Portus' was located between Nure and Carbia. To testify the presence of this Roman itinerary we can have a look at two very important bridges, one is situated nearby Porto Torres, the other one is located in Fertilia.
Arriving at Porto Conti, at the head of a well-appointed force, on the 1st of june, 1354, this spiritited and politic prince, quickly changed the face of affairs and sealed the fate of the Doria faction p.34 Sketch of the Present State of the Island of Sardinia.
In origine, presso i greci, luogo di culto delle ninfe, grotta naturale o artificiale con acqua sorgiva, poi fontana monumentale con giochi d'acqua, tipica del mondo ellenistico e romano: ambiente rettangolare o circolare con volta, talora colonnato e arricchito via via di portici, statue, pitture e mosaici.
L'itinerario Antoniniano (cosidetto perchè scritto forse sotto l'imperatore Antonino Caracalla, 211-217 d. C.), nel descrivere la grande strada romana che portava da Turris Libisonis ( Porto Torres ) a Carales lungo la costa occidentale dell'isola, ci segnala due "stazioni" nei dintorni del golfo di Alghero: Nure, il cui nome richiama alla regione in cui doveva essere collocata,la Nurra e Carbia, nei dintorni dell'attuale Alghero, vicino alla chiesetta di S. Maria di Calvia, ove un tempo furono trovate tracce di questa frequentazione d'età romana. Fra Nure e Carbia la strada correva lungo la costa, toccando il Nympheus Portus, l'attuale Porto Conte dove in località Sant'imbenia sono stati trovati i resti di una splendida villa marittima con bagni e mosaici, degli anni 150-200 d.C., che ha fatto pensare a questo luogo come ad una località di villeggiatura marittima, e scavalcando poi lo stagno di Calich con un lungo ponte a 24 archi, dei quali 13 ancora rimangono, ormai integrati nel piccolo approdo turistico di Fertilia.

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