17-Dec-2024
So the nasties are gradually wearing off, thank goodness, and we've become a little more active...
Today's objective: Porto Torres. Which wasn't on my radar at all really, until we found ourselves moored there on the way to Corsica... Looking it up online, I found it had a Roman bridge. A very impressive one. Must go, we thought, especially as it's a mere 20 minutes away on the train.
It was freezing this morning, and a totally fallacious weather forecast had caused me to put on far too few clothes.
But we started with breakfast in the nice warm Caffe Microtorrefazione. Two cappuccini and two filled cornetti (the Italian version of croissants) cost just EUR 5. Bargain.
And Porto Torres rewards your perseverance with some beautiful sea views:
The boat to Asinara, the very tip of Sardinia. Another time...
Incredibly, we could see the high mountains of Corsica, about 100 miles away...
This is the Aragonese Tower, built in 1325 by Francisco Carroz. The octagonal shape points to its Catalan origins, and it's the only such tower in Sardinia
Porto Torres was Turris Libisonis to the Romans, and it was the only Roman colony in Sardinia. According to the information at the archaeological complex (which features a museum and an extensive area of remnants), the city was probably founded somewhere between BC 46 and 41, either by Julius Caesar or his adopted son. It is unlikely to have been a military base. Rather, it served as an outlet for the growing Roman population, and the term colony indicated that the inhabitants had Roman citizenship, and all the rights that went with that status.
The museum is well worth a visit, and although I humphed a bit at having to be guided round the adjacent archaeological park (I'm never a fan of tours), I could see in retrospect that it would be a bit hazardous to let visitors loose on their own, and our guide turned out to be quite good.
Some pics from the museum first:
The beautiful marble urn that Caius Vehilius Rufus, a freed slave and citizen of Rome, ordered for his ashes... A devotee to Egyptian cults, he requested that the urn depict Jupiter Ammon
An altar to Bubastis, an Egyptian deity. It was dedicated by Caius Cuspius Felix, who was a priest of the goddess
A lot of what's displayed shows a perennial beauty
Out in the park, you can see the old main street of the settlement, plus the baths and the "Domus", the home of a rich citizen:
Everyone needs a bunghole...
The mosaics are surprisingly well preserved
The hypocaust system was used to heat the baths (the water came all the way from Sassari)
Early cavity walls
Drainage under the street
Some of the beautiful mosaics from the Domus
The mosaic floor from an older house found underneath the Domus (just as the Domus was later built over to make the baths...)
Unfortunately, the bridge that drew my attention in the first place is closed for renovation (and coated in scaffolding). But never mind. It was a thoroughly interesting visit.
Coming back, we opted for the bus. There's something weird about the train schedule, which has a big gap in the middle of the day. So, unless you're happy with a really short time in Porto Torres, it's best to go by train, and come back by bus. You can buy your tickets on board, or you can make use of the "Centro Intermodale", which has bus ticket offices, boat ticket offices, and a cafe.
Excellent little outing.