Cape Malfatano | |
|---|---|
 The bay of Cape Malfatano. | |
  Cape Malfatano Location in Sardinia | |
| Coordinates: 38°53′02″N 8°48′06″E / 38.88389°N 8.80167°E | |
| Location | Sardinia, Italy |
Cape Malfatano is a cape located in southern Sardinia, Italy, in the municipality of Teulada.[1]
History edit
The presence of prehistoric settlements on the area of Cape Malfatano indicates that its bay was inhabited since the middle Bronze age by the Nuragic civilization, and was used as a natural harbor for trade.[2]
Later a Punic military outpost, the harbor was expanded between the V and III century B.C., with the creation of two submerged walls acting as a breakwater. The bulwarks were built with regular shaped blocks of sandstone from the nearby quarries of Piscinnì. This is the only remaining structure of this type in Sardinia.[2] Several artifacts from the Roman republican and imperial era have been retrieved in various sites on the cape.[3]
Geography and natural environment edit
Cape Malfatano Tower edit
A tower is located on the tip of the promontory, accessible only by foot. Built in 1578 under the Spanish Empire, the Cape Malfatano Tower (Italian: Torre di Capo Malfatano) was originally part of a trading post used for exchanges with merchants from Amalfi. Meant as a watchtower, it was commanded by an alcaide and equipped with cannons, muskets and rifles.[4]
An attack to the tower was recorded in 1764 from an army of 400 and was successfully repealed. In 1812, following another attack, the garrison guarding the tower was increased to five soldiers and a corporal. The tower was in use at least until 1847.[4]
Similar to other watchtowers on the island, it has a truncated conical shape. It is 15 m tall and measures 4.5 m in diameter; it contains an internal room with a fireplace, accessible from an opening located 6 m above ground. A staircase, carved in the wall, leads to the top of the tower.[5]
The controversial tourist resort edit
Cape Malfatano attracted significant media attention in the 2010s, as Sitas, a company whose shareholders included the Benetton Group, Toti Group, and Sansedoni, started construction of Capo Malfatano Resort, a controversial touristic development project 190'000 cubic meters in size and comprising 518 rooms, on the natural area of the promontory.[6][7]
References edit
- ^ "Capo Malfatano". Visit Teulada. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ^ a b Orrù, P.E.; Mastronuzzi, G.; Deiana, G.; Pignatelli, C.; Piscitelli, A.; Solinas, E.; Spanu, P.G.; Zucca, R. (2014). "Sea level changes and geoarchaeology between the bay of Capo Malfatano and Piscinnì Bay (SW Sardinia) in the last 4 kys". Quaternary International. 336. Elsevier BV: 180–189. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2014.03.054. ISSN 1040-6182.
- ^ Giuman, Marco; Ibba, Maria Adele (2010). "Indagini archeologiche a Capo Malfatano (Teulada): prime acquisizioni". L’Africa romana XIX (PDF). Vol. 3. Sassari: Carocci editore. pp. 2931–2936. ISBN 978-88-430-6287-4. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Torre di Capo Malfatano". SardegnaCoste (in Italian). Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ "Torre di Malfatano (Teulada)". My Sardinia (in Italian). 7 November 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ Lilli, Manlio (6 February 2016). "Il resort a Capo Malfatano non si farà, nonostante l'ok della Soprintendenza". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ Zanuttini, di Paola (4 July 2016). "Ovidio Marras, il pastore che sussurrava ai cavilli". la Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 26 January 2024.