It is a municipality in the province of Sassari, located in the North-western part of Sardinia, in one of the most sheltered corners of the Gulf of Asinara. The surrounding territories are crossed by two streams that have made it become a very fertile area and the main centre clearly features the original old road plan.
The area of Porto Torres was inhabited since the Nuragic Ages, as evidenced by the presence of numerous traces of villages with nuraghi. The first documents that claim about the existence of a settlement date back to the I century B.C. Later the area was colonized by the Romans, whose presence is evidenced by several archaeological sites, in addition to the antique road map of the old centre. An important trading centre for copper and silver, extracted from the nearby mines, cereals and other agricultural products, the town was linked by merchant ships to Ostia on the mainland.
During the Middle Ages, the area suffered a drastic demographic depopulation and the few left moved towards the hilly areas near the basilica of San Gavino, without abandoning completely the original centre located near the port. Porto Torres became the capital of the Giudicato of Logudoro and created close commercial relations with Genoa and Pisa, until it was conquered by the Aragonese, which favored the commercial preference of the nearby Sassari, city to which it remained subject, even from an administrative point of view, until 1842.
Attractions:
- the Basilica of San Gavino in Romanesque style, its construction was completed in the XII century and features three naves divided by columns and pillars, several of which are remains of other Roman monuments in the city. Along the North side opens a XV century portal with a marble lunette on which are depicted scenes of hunting and three portals of limestone, one of the XV century, which interrupt the linearity of the structure;
- the XIX century Church of the Consolata;
- the Roman bridge over the Riu Mannu, which features seven low arches;
- the fortified walls, built in the V century A.D., to defend the town from the raids of the Vandals;
- the Thermal Baths of Maetzke, an establishment of the II century A. D.;
- the Necropolis on Su Crocifissu Mannu;
- the XIV century Aragonese Watchtower;
- the Necropolis of Li Lyon;
- the beautiful beaches;
- the Catacombs;
- the Nuraghi.