La Maddalena Archipelago and Gallura
The Historical Region of Gallura
The historical region of Gallura occupies the northeastern tip of Sardinia, bordered by Mount Limbara and the lower Coghinas River. In the Early Middle Ages, it formed one of the four Sardinian Giudicati. Today, tourism (sparked by the Costa Smeralda consortium) and granite/cork extraction drive its economy. The local language, Gallurese, is a Tuscan-Corsican offshoot with Logudorese influences.
Overview of La Maddalena Archipelago
The Archipelago of La Maddalena comprises 23 islands and islets, of which La Maddalena and Caprera are the largest. Established in 1996 as a national park and recognized by UNESCO in 1998 as part of the world’s first Geomining, Historical and Environmental Park, the archipelago features strict marine protection tiers (Zones A, B, and C) and extensive 18th-to-20th-century military fortifications.
Origins & History: Known to the Romans as the Cuniculariae islands, the archipelago was inhabited since prehistory, visited by Benedictine monks in the 12th century, and permanently repopulated in the 17th and 18th centuries by Corsican shepherds and fishermen. In February 1793, local militia led by Domenico Millelire successfully repelled a French naval assault commanded by a young Napoleon Bonaparte. Giuseppe Garibaldi purchased northern Caprera in 1852, establishing his final home there.
Key Sites & Cultural Highlights:
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La Maddalena Town & Port (Cala Gavetta): The archipelago’s only urban center, featuring 18th-century pastel-colored palazzi, palm-lined avenues reminiscent of the Ligurian Riviera, and the parish church of Santa Maria Maddalena.
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Garibaldi Column & Naval Archaeological Museum: Monuments honoring local maritime resistance alongside the municipal museum dedicated to underwater archaeologist Nino Lamboglia, housing the Roman ship wreck and cargo recovered from Spargi.
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Giardinelli Island & Testa del Polpo: A scenic peninsula connected to La Maddalena by an isthmus, famed for its pink-and-grey sculpted granite rocks, including the octopus-head boulder (Capocchia du Purpu).
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Spargi Island: The third-largest island in the archipelago, renowned for pristine white-sand coves (Cala Corsara, Cala Granara, Cala Bonifazzinca) and military batteries like Rubin de Cervin.
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Budelli Island & The Pink Beach (Spiaggia Rosa): A privately owned island famous for its pink-tinted sand (derived from fragmented skeletal fragments of Miniacina miniacea and Miopora truncata) and the crystal-clear waters of the Porto della Madonna natural pool.
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Razzoli & Santa Maria Islands: Rugged, granite-dominated islands framing the northern straits of Bonifacio, featuring historic lighthouses, the Passo degli Asinelli, and quiet secluded coves.
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Santo Stefano Island & Villa Webber: An island marked by military history (including the Villamarina Tower and former US nuclear submarine support base) and the historic Villa Webber, where Benito Mussolini was briefly imprisoned in August 1943.