Strolling Through Beautiful Castles Sardinia

Castello di Aquafredda is located about 4 km from the center of Siliqua. It is among the most famous castles in Sardinia. The other name for this castle is Castello del Conte Ugolino della Gherardesca. This name refers to the same Ugolino, the Tuscan count who is mentioned in the Divine Comedy by Dante. He resided in this castle for years. Aquafredda refers to the spring that flows from the rocks on the hillside of the castle. Castello di Aquafredda sits atop a hill of volcanic origin in Siliqua.

Castello di Burgos sits right in the heart of Sardinia. The castle is located in the city of Burgos.It stands atop a high granite hillside of San Miguel. It was built in the mid-12th century by Gonario I of Torres. Located in the center is a courtyard and a tower. The tower has two floors. On June 15, 1813, the French army decided to leave the Castle of Burgos, and they destroyed it with explosives. The explosion resulted in the almost total destruction of all the castle grounds. The castle remains in ruins.

Castello dei Doria was built in 1102 and has 17 towers. It is located in Castelsardo on the northern coast of Sardinia. The castle was built for the Genoese Doria family. Castello dei Doria is home to the Museum of the Mediterranean Weave. Its infamous tower has been well preserved. The castle comes with a mystery; according to legend, a maze of underground tunnels beneath the castle was apparently where the Doria family minted coins and stored their gold.

Castello de’Eleonora d’Arborea is the only castle that is till inhabitable. It was built in the 14th century in Snluri, north of Cagliari. Each side of the quadrangular castle stands 26 meters high and has four crenelated towers. It was abandoned by the Spaniards in 1839 and acquired by the Villasanta family in 1920. Visitors can see multiple rooms with antique furnishings. The castle has become a museum, and one room is entirely dedicated to WWI and one to wax models and paintings. The only permanent resident of the castle is Pluma, a white cat who has made this her home.

Castello de la Fava is one of the most preserved castles in Sardinia. It is located in the northeast. The medieval fortress sits on a hill overlooking the town of Posada. The story about how this castle got its name is that in the year 1300, a Turkish fleet laid siege on Posada. Once the villagers ran out of food, they fed their last bag of beans to a pigeon. It was done so that no one would fight over the last morsels. However, the bird couldn’t fly far and actually fell into the enemy’s camp with a swollen and full stomach. The Turkish enemy assumed that the villagers had bountiful resources and could outlast them. So they picked up and left. Castello de la Fava is one of the most beautiful castles in Sardinia. Walking up the tower, you can get awesome views of the town and surrounding landscape.

Castello Salvaterra is also referred to as the Castle of San Guantino. The castle was built in 1258 by Count Ugolino della Gherardesca. It sits on Salvarerra Hill in Iglesias. It remained in use until the 19th century and was adjoined to a villa and glass factory. Just off Piazza Quintino Sella, stairs lead to a stout square tower. This is all that remains of the Castello Salvaterra.

Castello Serravalle sits perched atop Serravalle Hill in the village of Bosa. Only the walls and towers remain of the castle today, as well as some lovely frescoes visitors can see in the Palatine Chapel built in the 14th century during the reign of King Alfonso the Magnanimous. The view from the top of the hill is amazing.