Fort of Sant'Ignazio

The Fort of Sant'Ignazio is a military building located on the hill of Sant'Elia, in the municipality of Cagliari. It rises about 94 meters above sea level.

Built in 1792, in the Savoy period, on a project by the military engineer Franco Lorenzo, its function was to cope with any attacks by the French. From 1804 it became a shelter for individuals affected by contagious diseases.

The history of the Sant'Elia and Sant'Ignazio hills begins in the Nuragic and Pre-Nuragic periods, with continuity in the Phoenician and Roman periods. Between the 7th and 9th centuries, a nucleus of Christian hermits settled, including Sant'Elia and San Giovenale who built a place of refuge, then transformed into the church of Portu Salis by the Victorian monks of Marseille, who lived here for three centuries starting in 1089.

In 1366, their properties were transferred to the Aragonese feudal lords, who built four towers (Torre del Poueht, Torre di Cala Fighera, Torre di Calamosca and Torre de su Perdusemini), and to the Carmelites, who in 1621 were induced by the Barbarian raids to abandon the place to settle in the city.

Following the unsuccessful invasion of Sardinia conducted by revolutionary France at the end of the 18th century, the Savoy government transformed the Hispanic gun tower into a strong casemate.

The defense of the Gulf of Cagliari was primarily entrusted to the forts of Sant’Elia and Sant’Ignazio, located in the hills of the same name.
The works began in December 1793 and, after testing on March 30, 1795, were completed with related accessory parts three years later.

In the meantime, the very raison d'etre of the military site had failed, which never entered service and was re-used as Torre dei Segnali, until the Royal Administration of the Towers was suppressed in 1842.

A series of subsequent demolitions left few traces of the ancient Torre Sant'Elia, built on a previous lighthouse from the Pisan era, dating back to the Giudicale period, such as the small salt port (Portu Sais) which was located in today's Marina Piccola.

Map: Fort of Sant'Ignazio