The Variscan migmatite complex of Sardinia (Italy) is characterized by two deformation phases that could be subdivided in eight deformational events. The first five deformation events develop in ductile frame, the sixth and seventh in the brittle-ductile field and the last one in the brittle field.
The earlier D1 event (Upper Devonian?) develops in granulitic condition and syntectonic non coaxial deformation with a top to NW component of shear.
The D2 event develops in the amphibolitic conditions (350-344 M.y.) and is related with non coaxial deformation with a top to NW-SE component of shear. The D3 event is related to sinistral/dextral strike slip shear zones with syntectonic emplacement of tronjemitic leucosomes.The D4 event develops with a NE-SW crenulation cleavage subvertical related to a buckle anticline with syntectonic cascading/climbing folds.
The D5 event is characterized by a lot of folds without planar anysotropy. D3, D4 and D5 develops in the 344-320 M.y. span. The D6 event is related to sinistral/dextral strike slip shear zones with NW-SE syntectonic emplacement of S-granitoids (320-300 M.y.).
The D7 event is related to E-W Greenschist dextral strike slip shear zone and the last D8 event is characterized by NE-SW sinistral strike slip shear zone with emplacement of pegmatitic/aplitic dykes (280-247 M.y.).
The structural frame allow us to define a general shear deformation related to formation of a mantled gneiss dome in a transpressional system, connected with NW-SE regional shortening.
Taking into account the anticlockwise Oligocenic roto-traslation of the Sardinia-Corsica block, we can say that this shortening could be related with the N-S convergence recognizable in the Maures Massif (S France) dated at 330-300 M.y. The formation of the Variscan Sardinia mantled gneiss dome could be related to N-S convergence that affected the southern part of European Variscides.
