Palau, Monte Altura Fortress

The Fortress of Monte Altura is located on a granite slope overlooking Palau, overlooking the Maddalena archipelago and Corsica. It is one of the forts built in the 19th century to protect the northeastern coast of Sardinia, in an area historically considered to be of great strategic importance.
The fortress, in excellent condition, is open to guided tours and hosts concerts and cultural events during the summer season. At the end of 1800, on the coast of northeastern Sardinia, overlooking the Archipelago of La Maddalena, a series of fortified military structures were built which, together with those located on the islands, were to be decisive both in anti-French function and in the largest chessboard of the western Mediterranean. In the years known as those of the “Great Fortifications”, three large military batteries were built on the territory of Palau: Monte Altura, Capo d'Orso and Baragge. The Monte Altura Battery, located northwest of Palau, in an elevated position, easily accessible through the road that leads to Porto Rafael, had to beat the body of water to the west, favored by the view that sweeps from its position from the surrounding islands to Corsica. Built in 1887-1889 with granite from Monte Altura, it then held the title of the most beautiful fortress in Europe. After the Second World War, it remained unused for a long period, until 1990, when, with the transition to the Superintendency, its cultural enhancement began. Surrounded by powerful walls, it is a structure of great interest from an architectural and environmental point of view: an important testimony of the 19th century wall technique and military architecture, its shape is naturally inserted into the rock, also taking up the color, constituting a happy example of fusion between architecture and the surrounding environment. The numerous buildings that are located inside were historically used as official housing, non-commissioned officers, dormitories for the military, stables, garages, workshops and warehouses. There were also cultivated gardens and gardens. This combination gave rise to a real military citadel located on a large stone hill, constituting together one of the largest forts built in Italy in the 19th century.

Tag

Structure category: Monument or Monumental Complex

Content type: Fortified architecture

Usability: Open

Province: Sassari

Common: Palau

Macro Territorial Area: Nord Sardegna

POSTAL CODE: 07020

Address: SS 133, strada per Porto Rafael, località Monte Altura

Telephone: +39 347 0913032 +39 320 3407436 (biglietteria)

E-mail: info@museipalau.com

Website: www.fortezzamontealtura.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/fortezzadimontealtura

Instagram: www.instagram.com/fortezzadimontealtura

Special openings: Special winter openings in 2024:07/01 | 28/01 | 18/02 | 03/03 | 17/03 - Guided tours start: 14:15 | 15:15 | 16:15.

Information on tickets and access: To check the visiting hours and make reservations online, consult the manager's dedicated web page. In the months of January and blacksmith, the fortress can be visited on the dates of the extraordinary winter openings. For security reasons, access to the fortress is possible only with the accompaniment of specialized personnel. Not all areas of the route are accessible to people with reduced mobility. Pets are allowed, hoping for maximum respect for property and other people visiting. The time frames for guided tours are as follows: 30 MARCH - 30 JUNE, DEPARTURE OF VISITS: 10:15 | 11:15 | 12:15 | 14:15 | 16:15 | 17:15 - 01 JULY - 15 AUGUST, DEPARTURE OF VISITS: 10:15 | 11:15 | 12:15 | 15:15 | 16:15 | 17:15 | 18:15 | 19:15 - 16 AUGUST - 30 SEPTEMBER, DEPARTURE: 10:15 | 11:15 | 12:15 | 14:15 | 15:15 | 17:15 | 18:15 - 01 OCTOBER - 28 OCTOBER, DEPARTURE: 10:15 | 14:15 | 15:15 | 16:15 | 17:15 - 29 OCTOBER - 03 NOVEMBER, DEPARTURE OF VISITS: 09:15 | 10:15 | 11:15 | 12:15 | 14:15 | 15:15 | 16:15.

Access mode: For a fee

Tickets :

Integer : 5 €, grownups, .

Reduced : 3.5 €, Groups of 15 people and up, .

Reduced : 2.5 €, children from 11 to 18 years old, .

Cumulative integer : 7 €, grownups, for a visit to the Fortress, Bear Rock and Ethnographic Museum .

Reduced cumulative : 6 €, adults, groups of 15 people and up, for a visit to the Fortress, Bear Rock and Ethnographic Museum .

Reduced cumulative : 4 €, children from 11 to 18 years old, for a visit to the Fortress, Bear Rock and Ethnographic Museum .

Freeware : 0 €, Minors up to 10 years old, for a visit to the Fortress, Bear Rock and Ethnographic Museum .

Services information: Guided tours will always be available in ITA and ENG (except in rare cases of exceptional influx). Guided tours in other languages (FRA-DEU-ESP-PYU) will be available upon prior request or subject to daily availability. The last guided tour starts +/- 45 minutes before the site closes (with exceptions)

Update

1/5/2026 - 12:08

Services

Teaching room