Torre dell'Elefante
The Torre dell'Elefante (Italian: "Tower of the Elephant") is a medieval tower in Cagliari, southern Sardinia, Italy. It is located in the Castello historical quarter of the city.
The tower was built in 1307, during the Pisan domination of the city, by the Sardinian architect Giovanni Capula, who had also designed the Torre di San Pancrazio two years earlier, as well as the Torre dell'Aquila, partly destroyed in the 18th century and now incorporated in Palazzo Boyl. The tower was part of the city's fortifications in view of the imminent Aragonese invasion of the island. With a height of 31 metres, the tower was built on three sides in white limestone from the nearby Colle di Bonaria; another side was open and featured four floors of wooden galleries. It has also a gate, that, together with that of the Torre di San Pancrazio, is still the main entrance to Castello.
During the Aragonese rule, the edifice was modified and used as a jail. Its walls were used to hang the severed heads of the executed. It was restored in 1906, with the reopening of some sections which had been covered by other buildings.
Sources
- AA. VV. (October 1999). Cagliari - Monumenti aperti. Tipografia Doglio.