Starting from 1217 the Pisans settled in Cagliari, settling on the hill that now houses the district of Castello. Here they built a fortress with towers and defensive walls: the walls, interspersed with over 20 towers connected by a patrol path protected by a crenellated parapet, extended for 1640 meters.
Of this fortification today only two white towers remain, which seems to have never abandoned their task of silent guards of the city. The Tower of S. Pancrazio and the Tower of the Elephant are the symbol of the city of Cagliari and one of the best examples of medieval military architecture in Italy.
Both towers can be visited internally and then access the terraces, from which you can enjoy a beautiful view of the city. When they are affected by restoration works, however, it is possible to admire them from below, letting themselves be enchanted by their majesty.
The Elephant Tower between history and macabre legend
Observing its appearance, one realizes that the two towers of San Pancrazio and the Elephant are twin sisters, even if the Elephant Tower is younger than two years. She also shares a height of between 30 and 36 metres. Both are also built with the strong stone of Cagliari, a white limestone material from the hills of Bonaria.
The Elephant Tower was built at the beginning of the fourteenth century and is located at the entrance of the Castle district, in the area of the Bastion of Santa Croce, next to the Church of San Giuseppe di Calasanzio.
The tower has three massive and closed external sides and a fourth open side according to the Pisan style, with four floors built on wooden mezzanines added during the restoration of the nineteenth century. The height of the building reaches 30 meters, 35 considering also the tower. On the outer walls are still visible some coats of arms of the fourteenth century and a sculpture in the shape of an elephant overlooking the entrance arch, symbol of the Pisans.
Originally the tower served as a lookout post towards the sea and the interior of the island, but during the Spanish domination and until the mid-nineteenth century it was used as a prison and torture building.
It is a place that only knows how to speak in the ear of those who know its history, even if at times it is rather gloomy.
During the period of Spanish domination, when the tower began to be used as a prison, the heads of the condemned were exposed to its doors as a warning to the population. It is known in particular the episode of the murder of the viceroy of Sardinia, operated by Manuel Gomez de los Cobos and his accomplices, whose heads remained exposed on the Elephant Tower for 17 years.
In the square next to the Torre dell’Elefante were executed the death sentences: according to a popular superstition in the windy nights you can still hear the laments of the souls of the executed.
Foto : Estate in Sardegna
Tower of San Pancrazio, the last bulwark of Pisa
The Tower of S. Pancrazio takes its name from the nearby church of S. Pancrazio, but in ancient times it was known as “Torre del Leone” because it bears, on its walls, a sculpture of the animal.
Built in 1305, it is the highest of the towers of Cagliari. The original structure had three internal levels connected by spiral stairs. It is equipped with loopholes, which allowed the observation and use of weapons against possible assailants.
The tower has resisted several sieges over the centuries and during the war between Aragon and Pisa was one of the last Pisan bastions to fall.
Over the centuries the tower has been restored and strengthened, with the aim of making it safe but also to preserve its original structure. It is a privileged vantage point over the city, the Gulf of Angels and the surrounding plain.
During the guided tours of the monument you may feel a thrill: even this tower is the subject of scary local legends, because it is said that the spirit of a prisoner unjustly imprisoned wanders there during the full moon nights.
The other towers of Cagliari
The towers of San Pancrazio and Elefante are the most famous, also because they can still be visited, but in the city there are many other fortifications built by the Pisans in the thirteenth century.
These buildings served as a military defense at a time when Sardinia was a strategic crossroads in the Mediterranean and the object of the conquest of various peoples. However, the Pisan domination of Cagliari ended with the arrival of the Aragonese and in the course of history the towers often changed their intended use.
Many of these structures were later integrated into the palaces. Among these, there is, for example, the Tower of the Eagle, which was incorporated into the Boyl Palace, located behind the Bastion of St. Remy. The tower controlled the south side of the castle towards the sea, but was almost completely destroyed by the English and Spanish naval attacks of the early eighteenth century and the French one of 1793.
Cagliari bitten
While walking around Cagliari do not miss the opportunity to “taste” it: in the city you will find all the typical gastronomic specials of Sardinia, with dishes ranging from pastoral tradition to maritime.
There is no shortage of high-level restaurants -in which chefs will surprise you with whimsical reinterpretations of typical dishes- and there is also street food. Highlights include seadas, fried pastries filled with cheese and honey, culurgiones, ravioli filled with potatoes and mint, and of course, crispy carasau bread.
A tip? If you are in the city between November and May go and try the freshly caught sea urchins, accompanied by bread and wine: on the seafront Su Siccu you will find many stalls ready to delight your palate.
Copertina: Estate in Sardegna
