The most important fortifications of the other territories

In the medieval city centre of Oristano (region of Arborea), the tower of Mariano II carries us back to the times of the  Giudicati : it is one of the most important entrance door (it is not by accident that it is called Porta Manna, i.e. "large door") and it was part of the defence wall built in 1291 under Mariano II. It rises in the present Piazza Roma and it is the most visible part of the ancient defence wall. Constructed on three levels, it has a crenellated turret (in which is hosted a bell of the XV century) that distinguishes it from the similar towers of San Pancrazio and  the Elefante in Cagliari. The tower of Portixedda (it means "small door"), instead, was constructed by the Spanish in the XV century on the ruins of a Giudicale period tower .

Barbagie

In Aritzo we suggest a visit to “Sa Bovida”: it means “the vault” and it refers to the peculiarity of a part of the cover of an underpass. The building hosted in the 1700's the jails of the town. Until the half of the last century it was adapted as maximum emergency premises. It is possible to admire three cells and the zone reserved to the overseers.

Barigadu

Between Villa Sant’Antonio and Samugheo there are the remains of the castle of Medusa, medieval construction dug in the rock. From here was controlled the traffic in proximity of the Araxisi and Maiori river.

Baronìe

Posada keeps the ruins of the castle of Fava, constructed in the XIII century by the Pisans: from the tower is controlled all the surrounding territory, crossed by the Posada river.

Among the many reasons of interest that suggest a visit to Galtellì, there is also the remains of the castle of Pontes. Constructed in medieval age on the Tuttavista Mount, it hosted the barons of the town.

Gallura

A few kilometres away from Olbia, on the hill of Sa Paulazza, there is the castle that takes the name from the locality, known also as Mont’a Telti. It was constructed in 534 A.D., when Sardinia came back in the hands of the Byzantines.

The massive tower Longonsardo (beginning of the XVI century) dominates the promontory of Santa Teresa di Gallura. It is a circular tower constructed  by the Spanish, to control the coast from favorable position. 

Nearby the lake of Casteldoria, just about the border with Anglona, there are the remains of the castle of Doria constructed by a member of the genoese family in the XII century. It was refurbished in the XIV century by the king Pietro d’Aragona but, for a short parenthesis, it was reconquered by Matteo Doria. Subsequently it felt in the hands of the Aragoneses and then of the Spanish.

Logudoro-Meilogu

In Ardara there are the fews rests of the castle and of the giudicale Palace that, for a long time, hosted the Giudicati of Torres. It is not far from the beautiful Romanesque church of Santa Maria del Regno. In the nineteenth century, part of the town was constructed drawing from the stone blocks that formed the defence wall and the residences of the Giudici. A real pity: from the historians reconstructions it can be inferred that this fortress was particularly beautiful and rich.

Marmilla

On the top of the volcanic hill that dominates the small center of Las Plassas, not far fromBarumini, are visible the ruins of the castle constructed in the XII century A.D., one of the fortifications of the Giudicato di Arborea on the borders with the Giudicato di Cagliari.

Acuto-Goceano Mount

By the Coghinas lake, in the territory of Oschiri, there are the runis of what erroneously have been ndicated as the castle of Castro: but noncertain proofs have not been found  of the medieval fortress. The diggings have instead brought back to light, the ruins of a station built up by the Romans along the street that, coming from the far Karalis (the actual Cagliari), leaded to Gallura. Found also the rests of some graves and an aqueduct.

The castle of Burgos (once called the castle of the Goceano), where in 1255 died the Judge Lady of Torres, Adelasia (last Queen of Gallura and Logudoro), dominates the village of Burgos that developed after the construction of the fortress (1129). It was built for wanting of the Judge of Torres, Gonario. The Judge Costantino was besieged in 1193 by the Judge of Cagliari, Guglielmo di Massa, that kidnapped and imprisoned his wife.

Montiferru

In Cuglieri there are a few ruins (some cisterns and the base of the defense wall) of the Casteddu Etzu (once famous like the Castle of the Monti Ferru), constructed in the XII century by Ottocorre, Barisone's brother, Judge of Torres. It was an outpost in defense from the attacks of the Giudicato di Arborea that, after a siege, conquered it and kept it until 1354, year in which the Aragoneses took possession of the territory. Later (in 1426) the castle came into possession of the noble family Zatrillas.

In Ghilarza rises the Aragonese Tower, constructed in the Guidicati Age maybe in opposition to the nearby castle of Macomer. It is a two floors tower with rectangular plant that, in the opinion of some scholars, would have been included in a larger and more complex fortress: the events of 1478 (when the marquis Alagon was defeated in battle by the Spanish, just in front of Macomer) did not permit to complete the work. Nowadays the ground floor is used to host conventions and concerts, while the upper floor hosts temporary shows.

Ogliastra

On the beach of Barisardo there is the massive tower of Barì (so was called once this locality: the name changed with the constitution of the Reign of Italy, in some topographical papers it is indicated as Bari Sardo), constructed in the XVII century accordinf to the Spanish will in order to contrast the frequent vandalic raids.

By now can be admired only a few remains, however it is important to mention the castle of Medusa, constructed in the medieval age on the ruins of a Punic military settlement in the territory of Lotzorai: its first name, castle of the Agugliastra, refers to the near Pedra Longa, a falaise spire present in the territory of Baunei, called also Agugliastra, from which could have had origin the denomination of the region of Ogliastra.

In the old town center of Seui there is a small jail going back to the Spanish rule, used until 1900's.

Peninsula of the Sinis

In the hill of Capo San Marco that dominates the ruins of Tharros there is the tower of San Giovanni, one of the many constructed by the Spanish in defense of the Sardinian coasts.
Torre Sa Mora, in Capo Mannu, is one of the Spanish towers still in good conditions. It is placed in front of a radar position of the Aereonautica Militare Italiana.

Sarcidano

In Laconi, in the Aymerich Park, it is possible to admire the medieval castle belonged to the Castelvì, feudatories of the village since 1469: their coat of arms is carved at the entrance of the castle, made of three buildings that have undergone renovations in several ages and in accordance with very different styles. Of uncertain attribution the date (1053) readable on the entrance jamb door: the stone have been maybe moved from the point of origin (the tower) between the nineteenth century and the 1900's.

Sarrabus

In the XIX century, and until the half of the last century, in Castiadas was operative a penal colony of which the communal administration wants to increase the value with a project that will lead to the creation of a museum. In this structure the prisoners paid for their negligences and were employed to the hard labours: to them are owed the many reclamation works of the territory, that from decades hosts vineyards and orchards. All around the jail developed the inhabited centre.

Sassarese-Romangia

The city of Sassari shows still today a part of the ancient walls that, from the beginnings of the XIII century, encircled it. Originally, the entrances were four, all provided with drawbridges that permitted to overcome the moat: Porta Castello, Porta Rosello, Porta Utzeri and Porta Sant’Antonio. Later was opened Porta Nuova.
Close to the beach of Platamona is found the tower of Abbacurrente, constructed in the XVI century in order to allow the sighting of the barbaric ships.

Sulcis-Iglesiente

Siliqua is a village known mainly for the presence of the ruins near the castle of the Acquafredda, that was inhabited by the count Ugolino Donoratico della Girardesca (personality cited in the Hell of the Divine Comedy by Dante Aligheri): it was erected in the XIII century on the top of a volcanic rock that dominates the surrounding valleys washed by the Cixerri river. It can be admired what remains of the three rows of walls, of the keep and of the residence of the noble owners. In optimal conditions, instead, a water cistern: it has been refurbished in 1999. Going up the slopes of the hill, it is possible to see the few rests of the buildings of a medieval military village: lodgings and warehouses erected by the Pisans.

In the center of Calasetta rises the tower wanted by the Viceroy of Sardinia between 1756 and 1757. Fortunately the stones of the ruins of Sulci were not used, as it was initially assumed: too large for being transported without excessive costs and waste of energies. It was felt back in the local material and in the lime produced in Port Paglia, while the labourers were chosen among the unemployed of Carloforte. Two guns and weapons of smaller calibre guaranteed the protection of the inlet. The Town Hall of Calasetta bought it in 1875 and provided the reconstruction during the two World wars.

Goes back to 1813 the idea of building a fortress at the entrance of Sant' Antioco, to defend the local population from the barbaric invasions. Soldiers and civilians worked hardly, in order to build in a hurry the Savoy blockhouse that is still today visitable in locality Sa Guardia de Su Pisu, by now integrated inside the inhabited center. Unfortunately, in 1815, the Tunisians were very smart: hoisting the English flag, they overcame the first obstructions of the island and they arrived from the rears on the blockhouse not completed yet. It was a bloodbath. The invaders sacked the laid waste town. Then they took prisoners 133 men to sell as slaves.