Description of the attraction
Porto Torres is a small town in Sardinia, located near the town of Sassari. Its population is only about 22 thousand people.
In ancient times, Porto Torres, called Turris Libissonis, was one of the most important settlements in Sardinia. The city was probably founded in the Roman era, and since it had the title of Colony of Julius, it can be assumed that it was founded during the reign of Julius Caesar. The historian Pliny described it as “the only colony on the island,” and suggested that it was founded on the site of a fort or fortified settlement.
Traces of the ancient city that have survived to this day confirm that it was a very important settlement in the Roman Empire. According to the inscriptions on ancient milestones, the main road of the island ran from Karalis (modern Cagliari) straight to Turris, which undoubtedly indicates that the place was very visited. And at the beginning of the Middle Ages, the episcopal throne was located here.
Modern Porto Torres is built on ancient Roman foundations. Here are the ruins of a temple, which, according to the inscriptions, was dedicated to Fortune and was restored during the reign of Emperor Philip the Arab (3rd century AD), a bathhouse, a basilica and an aqueduct, as well as a bridge over a small river Fiume Turritano. The city existed until the 11th century, when most of its population moved to the Sassari hills. Then Porto Torres was ruled by the Republic of Genoa, and at the beginning of the 15th century it was conquered by the Aragonese dynasty. Even later, he was part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. In 1842, Porto Torres gained independence from Sassari and acquired its current name.
Today it is a small port town popular with tourists. People usually come here on excursions from Sassari to see ancient churches, palaces and ruins of ancient times. Among the main attractions of Porto Torres is the 11th century three-aisled Basilica of San Gavino, built of marble, porphyry and granite, the largest Romanesque church in Sardinia. Instead of the west-facing façade and the eastern apse usual for Catholic churches, this building has two apses. Ancient Roman sarcophagi are kept in the crypt. The largest bridge in Sardinia over the Rio Mannu is also a Roman heritage - its spans are 160-170 meters long. You should definitely visit the Nuragi La Camusina, Li Pedriazzi, Margone and Mincharedda, as well as the Neolithic necropolises of Sou Crocifissa Mannu and Li Lioni. The catacombs of Tanka Borgona, the small square of Piazza Amsikora, Palazzo Re Barbaro and the port towers built during the reign of the Aragonese dynasty also enjoy the attention of tourists.
