Castelsardo, Italy, on the coast in northwestern Sardinia, is a city traditionally known for its crafts, particularly in baskets. The baskets are produced by using vegetable fibers
The history of Castelsardo dates from prehistoric to the time when Rome ruled in Sardinia. The present-day town began when a castle was built close to 1100 by the Doria family from Genoa who ruled the area as a fiefdom.
Visitors can easily reach Castelsardofrom the Alghero Airport in just under an hour. Olbia is about an hour and a half away.
Located on a rocky overlook on the north costal area of Italian region of Sardinia, the village and port still keeps its original form from medieval times including the fortifications that enclosed the old fishing town called Pianedda. Hikers can teach the fort by scaling the hills up to the old walls land by trekking the narrow paths up to Anglona that is the old village near the castle built by the Doria. The citadel was constructed on the top of the craggy hills. Several of the battlements remain including Logetta on the southeast, Bellavista Bastions near the east and Manganello Bastions on the north. The ancients could gain entrance on the seaside of the castle. The entry point was called Lu Grannaddu and permitted supplies to be transported into the fort. The Mandracho was s sharp stairs located inside the walls letting people climb into the city.
Currently the castle is the home of the Museo dell Intreccio, translated as the Museum of Interlacement, an old Sardinian art that used even and supple vegetable materials to make containers. The museum is located inside the medieval fort and exhibits examples of the articles produced from the vegetable fibers. The different displays present items from daily life and from town occupations such as fishing.
The castle are the most prominent of the historical sites along with the churches of the town including the Parish Church of San Antonio Abate l the church is known for the polyptych of four paintings dating from the late 1400s and includes a Madonna and Child.
Within the town, the Piazza Santa Maria is surrounded by wall on the south and the earlier Monastery of San Martino, which is joined to the Church of Santa Maria Della Grazie. The church has been changed by renovations.
Visitors to the area around Castelsardo can take in attractions from both history and nature. The wind has eroded the rock to create natural forms including the rock of the elephant, which can be described as a large red stone outlined like an elephant. Near to this phenomena are caves formed by the Sardinians in the Neolithic times. The Nuraghe are old monuments of the
Sardinians near the road to Valledoria. Visitors will also find volcanic formations along the coast and thermal baths. Antiquities from the Roman times near Sedini. The Church of Tergu was built in the 11th century.
Visitors will enjoy the local dining specialties of the sea bass vernaccdia or Castellanese lobster, and other sea dishes of squid and fish soup, or the local pasta of Ricotta ravioli or Castellanese gnocchi The local sweet is made with the Seadas honey.
