Bari Sardo, Torre di Barì

The fort is in the territory of the village of Barì, today Bari Sardo: the area was known as “Punta Negra di Barì” or “Punta Negra de Sapione”. Later, in the 18th and 19th centuries, the fortification was dedicated to Sant'Antonio and therefore called “de Sant'Antonio de Barì”.
The tower served as a lookout and, with a view of about 15 km, it observed the area that extended from Capo Bella Vista to Capo Sferracavallo; it also controlled the mouth of the Riu Mannu, a possible destination for barbarians and pirates for water supply. It was in optical contact with the towers of San Gemiliano and Capo Bellavista, in N, and with the lookout of Capo Sferracavallo, in S.
The tower is built with local granite and basaltic rocks. Troncoconical, it has a height of 12.75 m and a diameter of 11.4 m at the base and 8 m at the terrace. It has a small circular inner chamber, turned like a dome, of about 14 square meters; it contained a small garrison reduced to the warden (the captain of the tower) and two soldiers. The entrance to this room was guaranteed by an opening 4 m above the ground; in front of the entrance there was a hatch that led to the tank, located at a lower level, while on the floor there was the staircase, inside the wall, that led to the parade ground.
The construction of the tower in the Barì area was recommended in 1572 by the report of the captain of Iglesias, Marco Antonio Camos, who had carried out a census of the coast of Sardinia, especially the sites most frequented by privateers. The construction of the fortress therefore took place between this date and 1639, when it was mentioned for the first time in Francesco Vico's “Letter on the Description of the Isla Y Reyno de Sardena”.
In 1720, according to the Report of the First Commissioner of Artillery, Factories and Fortifications, Cagnoli, the tower was in good condition. In May 1748 there was a firefight with the Moors who had landed nearby. At the end of the century, repairs by Master Mameli were documented, while a more radical intervention was carried out in the spring of 1828. At the same time, the garrison was staying in Bari Sardo, continuing its duty as a guard. In the following two years, on a design by the architect Melis, the renovation was completed.
In 1842, the Royal Administration of the Towers was suppressed and the following year the tower was decommissioned. During the Second World War it was reused as a lookout post.

Bibliography
E. Pillosu, The Coastal Towers in Sardinia, Cagliari, Tipography La Cartotecnica, 1957;
E. Pillosu, “An unprecedented sixteenth-century report on coastal defense by Marco Antonio Camos”, in New Sardinian Bibliographic Bulletin and Archive of Popular Traditions, V, 1959; F. Fois, Spanish Towers and Piedmontese Forts in Sardinia, Cagliari, La Voce Sarda, 1981; G. Montaldo, The Coastal Towers in Sardinia, Sassari, Carlo Delfino, Sassari Russo, 1992; F. Fois, Spanish Towers and Piedmontese forts in Sardinia, Cagliari, La Voce Sarda, 1981; G. Montaldo, The Coastal Towers in Sardinia, Sassari, Carlo Delfino, Sassari Russo, 1992;
F. Fois, Spanish Towers and Piedmontese forts in Sardinia, Cagliari, La Voce Sarda, 1981; G. Montaldo, The Coastal Towers in Sardinia, Sassari, Carlo Delfino, Sassari Russo, 1992; F. Fois, Spanish Towers and Piedmontese forts in Sardinia, Cagliari The defense

coast of the Kingdom of Sardinia from the 16th to the 19th century, Rome, Army General Staff, Historical Office, 1992;
G. Montaldo, “Coastal Forts and Towers”, in The Fortified Architecture of Central-Southern Sardinia. Proceedings of the Study Day, Cagliari October 16, 1999;
M. Rassu, Guide to coastal towers and forts, Cagliari, Artigianarte, Cagliari 2000.

How to get there
Bari Sardo is located along the SS 125 (eastern Sardinia), at km 136. To reach the monument, it is necessary to take a short section of road, towards E, 4.5 km long, that connects the town to the sea. The tower stands on a small promontory, which advances from the coastline, and is fringed by a sandy beach.