The San Michele Cave is of karstic origin, like the other caves in Ozieri: Mara, del Carmelo and Calamone.
The San Michele Cave extends for around 160 m and is currently 56 m long. It has numerous rooms and tunnels and owes its name to the presence of a sanctuary which once stood nearby. In 1914, when it was discovered, Taramelli sponsored an initial archaeological dig. Excavation work began again in 1949. Archaeologists found numerous artifacts belonging to a civilisation, dating to the Late Neolithic period (c. 3200-2800 B.C.), which took the name of Culture of San Michele (or Ozieri).
Over time, the cave was a burial place, a place of worship and even an air-raid shelter during the Second World War. The largest chamber in the cave was demolished in the 1950s to make way for a football pitch, later converted into a car park. Indeed, in order to access the site, you need to head to the car park at the Ozieri Public Hospital.
