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A granite tower, built between 1576 and 1577, with a diameter of 19 meters at the base and an average height of 11 metres.

The fortress is named Longonsardo after the 14th-century castle of the same name which was destroyed in 1422. After the foundation of the town of Santa Teresa Gallura, in the first half of the 19th century, it also took on the name of Torre di Santa Teresa. The tower is located in the far north-eastern part of the island, between the bays of Santa Reparata and Porto Longone, and commands a view over the entire inlet, enabling it to control traffic and provide defence against pirate attacks. At the same time, it was a blockade for possible smuggling activities from Corsica. The granite tower consists of a truncated cone-shaped structure from the base up to mid-height and the upper part is cylindrical. It has a diameter of 19 metres at its base and 16.2 at the upper cylindrical body, with an average height of 11 metres. The access to the main building is situated 6 metres above the ground and leads to the casemate, the large domed bomb-proof compartment. This room has a diameter of 10 metres and is supported by a large central pillar. Mirroring the entrance is another opening, while on the right is the staircase, within the masonry, leading to the parade ground. A first surveillance system to guard the port of Longonsardo against smuggling and Barbary raids was set up in February 1556. After a short time, however, the need to build a defensive structure for greater control over the area was recognised. The tower was probably built before 1577, as shown in the records in the Carta della Sardegna (Charter of Sardinia) by the architect Rocco Capellino. By the end of the century, however, the fortress was already being subjected to the first raids by Barbary pirates. The tower is described in archival documents as "de armas", or "gagliarda”, i.e. as having heavy defence capabilities. There is evidence of an "Alcaide” (commander) with an artilleryman and four soldiers. In 1791, a "mezzaluna", a half-moon shaped canopy supported by a column and made of juniper beams, was added to the parade ground. Inside, brick partitions were used to create small rooms for the garrison, each with a fireplace and embrasures for rifle fire. A projecting sentry box was also added to the upper terrace. At the base of the tower, a ravelin, a trapezoidal wall, was built in the northern sector. Inside, there was a barracks for the dragoons with living quarters, a bread oven and a millstone for wheat. In June 1802 the tower was stormed and taken by Sardinian rebels, along with some from Corsica, under the command of the priest Sanna Corda. After a brief occupation, royal troops attacked the fortress and forced the conspirators to surrender, then sentenced them to death. Ordinary repairs were carried out in the first half of the 19th century, until the Reale Amministrazione delle Torri (Royal Administration of Towers) was abolished in 1842. Four years later the tower was abandoned. In the 1930s, the two sentry boxes collapsed. During World War II, the tower became the home of a paratrooper unit, who built the external staircase. The mezzaluna built in 1791 is no longer visible, but a few traces of the ravelin remain.

Santa Teresa Gallura

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