Portoscuso, Spanish Tower

The Portoscuso tower is located on a hill that dominates the small maritime center, between the small cove of the Ghinghetta and the cliff of Porto Paleddu. Strategic location from which it is possible to maintain visual contact with the other coastal towers (Calasetta and Carloforte).
The Portoscuso tower is in excellent architectural and static condition. It has a truncated conical geometric shape and consists of a single plane illuminated by 8 windows. The historical period of its probable construction varies: it is 1577 according to the Charter of Rocco Cappellino or 1639 according to the Charter of Francesco Vico.
The tower is accessed through a single opening located about 3.5 m from the ground, accessible by means of a 16-step staircase.
The interior has an exceptional dome vault without a central pillar with stiffening ribs that cross at the mouth of the underlying tank. The vaulted structure is made of unsquared stones. The only parts built with square stone are the pillars and ribbed stiffening ribs.
Outside, there are cantilever shelves that crown the upper terrace on which the larger caliber cannons were placed. The terrace floor was waterproofed with bitumen and the rainwater was channeled to a single point, in the inner perimeter of the terrace, and discharged into the tank through a pipe. These downspouts were normally made of curved tiles, double sided tiles, in order to form the drain pipe. Access to the terrace is through a staircase inside the perimeter wall consisting of worked stone steps.
As far as construction methods are concerned, it is observed that the masonry is made according to the so-called “cassette” or “double curtain” technique, in the sense that it consists of two wall walls, one external and one internal made of unsquared stones and bedridden with bastard mortar. The gap between the two septa was filled with a mixture of stones and mortar.
For its construction, lavas and volcanic tuffs from the area were used. The external cantilever elements are in ignimbrite with volcanic tuff veins.
The Portoscuso tower belongs to the category of so-called “strong towers” (heavy defense). These were the largest towers and, from the inventory carried out in 1767 by Ripol, it appears that these towers were generally equipped with four large-caliber cannons, two shotguns and five rifles. The garrison consisted of a warden, an gunner and four soldiers.

History of studies
The tower is included in the main works on coastal fortifications in Sardinia.

Bibliography
F. Fois, Spanish Towers and Piedmontese Forts in Sardinia, Cagliari, La Voce Sarda, 1981;
F.C. Casula, “Turkish Presence in Sardinia in Modern Times”, in Proceedings of the Symposium on Research Studies for a Scientific Development of Italian-Turkish Relations, Milan, 1981;
G. Sorgia, Spanish Sardinia, Sassari, Chiarella, 1982; G. Montaldo, The Coastal Towers in Sardinia, Sassari, Carlo Delfino, Sassari 1992.

How to arrive
From the SS 126 from Iglesias, after the second entrance to Gonnesa, take the D. the panoramic road to Portoscuso. From Carbonia, at the Sirai junction, take the SP to Portoscuso.

Tag

Structure category: Monument or Monumental Complex

Content type: Fortified architecture

Usability: Closed

Province: Sud Sardegna

Common: Portoscuso

Macro Territorial Area: South Sardinia

POSTAL CODE: 09010

Address: via Torre

June -

Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday - Friday - Saturday - Sunday

4:30 PM - 8:30 PM

July - August

Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday - Friday - Saturday - Sunday

4:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday - Friday - Saturday - Sunday

9:30 PM - 11:30 PM

Information on tickets and access: Currently, the interior of the tower is closed to visitors, due to restoration-consolidation work, and it is currently not possible to indicate a probable date of reopening of the structure. The exterior is freely open to visitors.

Update

29/5/2024 - 20:14

Where is it

Images