CARLOFORTE: CARIBBEAN SEA & AFRICAN SOUL

CHURCHES

Visit these three churches to learn about the history of Carloforte.

CHIESA DEI NOVELLI INNOCENTI

In 1212 seven ships sailed from Marseille with a large number of young men willing to fight for the freedom of Jerusalem. On their way to the Holy Land, two of them shipwrecked on the island of San Pietro.

Pope Gregory IX asked for the church of the Young Innocents to be erected in their memory. Be touched by the visit to the most ancient church of San Pietro.

SAN CARLO BORROMEO

In honour of Charles Emmanuel III who gifted them with this island, in 1738 the settlers named their new town Carloforte – Fort of Charles – and dedicated the main church to San Carlo Borromeo. On that occasion, the king sent a precious painting of the Patron Saint.

Stop behind the altar to see that very painting hanging in the apse.

CHIESA DELLA MADONNA DELLO SCHIAVO

In 1798 pirates captured over 900 inhabitants of Carloforte. They were taken to Tunis and kept as slaves. One morning during their period of exile a statue of the Virgin Mary carved in wood was found on the beach. It was probably just the figurehead of a ship but it was hailed as a miraculous sign and gave consolation and hope to all of them.

In 1803 Charles Emmanuel IV paid their ransom and when they came back to their hometown they brought the statue with them.

You can now visit the church that was built to accommodate that statue. And the statue as well, of course.

SAINT PATRON FESTIVITIES

Take part in local festivals such as San Pietro, the Saint Patron festivities on 29 June

STATUE OF CHARLES EMMANUEL III

Stop in front of the figure of Charles Emmanuel III for a moment. Do you notice anything amiss? Napoleon is responsible for the broken arm of the statue. Sort of. In fact, in 1793 the French military invaded the island of San Pietro and ruled Carloforte for 5 months between January and May.

The inhabitants of Carloforte knew a French army was on its way and before their arrival decided to hide the statue of the Sardinian King – an enemy of the French revolutionaries. However, the hole so laboriously and swiftly dug wasn’t deep enough and the right arm protruded from the ground. Having run out of time, the inhabitants of Carloforte decided to break it off.

Five months later the French domination was over and the statue was placed back on its pedestal. There it still stands, with its right arm missing. A reminder of the troubled times through which it lived.

TORRE SAN VITTORIO – ASTRONOMIC OBSERVATORY AND VIRTUAL REALITY MUSEUM

Stop at the museum of the tower of San Vittorio for a 3D exploration of the history of the island of San Pietro from its geological formation to 1737. In that year Agostino Tagliafico, the first explorer from Tabarka, came to the island. He wrote the detailed report that led to an agreement between the Kingdom of Sardinia and the new settlers.

If you are wondering about the tower building, it was used as the main defensive outpost for the port of Carloforte.

In 1898 the tower was restructured into an astronomic observatory by The Ministry of Education. It was home to one of the five international stations for the observation of the precession of the equinox. That’s the study of the variations in the inclination of the earth’s axe.

Visits in wintertime are restricted to weekends only. Reservation is always required.

tsv@comune.carloforte.ca.it | +39-0781-858-9260 | +39-333-181-6535

WALL AND FORT OF SANTA TERESA

Tour the ancient defensive walls to get a lovely view over the town from the quarter up the hills called Castello – The Castle.

Look for the Porta del Leone, a large passage with the sculpture of a lion’s head embedded on its arch.

Tour the fort of Santa Teresa and try to feel the same sense of security enjoyed by the inhabitants of Carloforte after 1813 when they had completed the forts – originally seven – and the defensive walls. They would open the gates only during the day to sleep sound at night.

LIGHTHOUSE OF CAPO SANDALO

11 km on the other side of San Pietro island you’ll find Capo Sandalo. The lighthouse’s tower reaches a height of 138 metres above the sea level and dominates a beautiful white cliff.

124 steps take you to the top of the lighthouse of Capo Sandalo, the most western lighthouse of Italy. Once there, you’ll feel suspended between the sea and the sky.

Try and spot some of the many sea falcons (Falco Eleonorae) who come here for the summer from distant Madagascar. Guess you’re not the only tourists in San Pietro.

SPECIAL CUISINE

In Carloforte you’ll be able to experience the influences of the inhabitants’ Ligurian, Mediterranean and North African heritage through their cuisine.

ARABIAN

Try the Arabian inspired Cashcà – a variant of couscous made from steamed semolina and seasonal vegetables cooked separately.

TABARKAN

If you like fish, try the dried codfish Tabarka-style or the Cassolla, a fish soup with different types of fish and shellfish served in a restricted sauce of oil, tomatoes, parsley and garlic.

A poor dish once popular among sailors decades ago is the Cappunnadda based on biscuits softened in water and seasoned with oil, vinegar, tomatoes and salted tuna strips.

LIGURIAN

Feel the Ligurian tradition by tasting the Farinata served in all pizzerias. It’s a thin pizza-bread made with chickpea flour, water and oil. Sometimes you can find variants that include onions.

LOCAL

The local dish that is most loved by all is, however, tuna, which you can enjoy prepared in all kinds of variants. The local tuna, fished right in front of Carloforte, is one of the most sought-after Italian delicacies, with almost all production exported to tuna-loving Japan.

Should you need something sweet at the end of your meal, try to find some Panetti – small bread-like sweets with dried figs, mustard and dried grapes.

BEACHES

STRADA PANORAMICA 103

You can easily reach all beaches around Carloforte by driving on road SP103. The panoramic road takes you through orchards and vineyards for about 10 km before reaching La Caletta beach on the west side of the island of San Pietro.

NATURAL MONUMENT

All along the road, you can stop at any of the wonderful beaches that dot the south-east coast on either side of the Colonne di Carloforte, one of the Top 10 Natural Monuments of Sardinia.

CARIBBEAN BAYS

You’ll find wonderful bays of turquoise waters protected from the cold northern Mistral wind. You can happily enjoy these charming beaches all year round.

EVENTS

The quiet life of Carloforte gets stirred just a few times of the year by interesting events.

CUS CUS FESTIVAL

Taste more couscous varieties then you had known existed at the Cus Cus Festival held at the end of April.

GIROTONNO

Visit the town at the end of May beginning of June to participate in three days of tuna testing, conferences, chef contests, music and dances for the yearly tuna fishing festival known as Girotonno.

SAINT PATRON

Take part in the festivities for the Saint Patron of Carloforte – San Pietro – every year on 29 June.

CARLOFORTE MUSIC AND ART FESTIVALS

Tour Carloforte and the island of San Pietro at the end of August beginning of September to find impromptu music concerts a bit everywhere. They’re part of Carloforte Music Festival.

The Music Festival usually merges with the subsequent International Festival of Theatre, Music, Art, Cinema and new Circus at the beginning of September.

FILM FESTIVAL

Enrich some of your evenings at the end of October with the films, documentaries, concerts, meetings and masterclasses of Creuza de Mar. That’s Carloforte’s Film Festival, dedicated to studying the use of music in feature films.

BOTTI DU SHCOGGIU

And finally, let yourself be surprised and inspired by the series of music, poetry, and art events that are collectively called Botti du Shcoggiu – Summer Bangs in Carloforte’s dialect. Website

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF CARLOFORTE

Get inspired by all the things you can do in Carloforte