| Castelsardo Caltheddu |
|
|---|---|
| — Comune — | |
| Comune di Castelsardo | |
|
Castelsardo
|
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Sardinia |
| Province | Sassari (SS) |
| Frazioni | Lu Bagnu, Multeddu, San Giovanni, Terra Bianca |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Matteo Giovanni Santoni |
| Area | |
| • Total | 45.48 km2 (17.6 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 114 m (374 ft) |
| Population (30 November 2009) | |
| • Total | 5,846 |
| • Density | 128.5/km2 (332.9/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Castellanesi |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 07031 |
| Dialing code | 079 |
| Website | Official website |
Castelsardo (Sassarese: Caltheddu, Sardinian: Casteddu Sardu) is a town and comune in Sardinia, Italy, located in the northwest of the island within the Province of Sassari.
Archaeological excavations have showed the human presence in the area of Castelsardo since pre-Nuragic and Nuragic times, as well as during the Roman domination in Sardinia.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, a monastery (Nostra Signora di Tergu) was founded nearby, but the current town originates from the castle built here, in 1102 (or 1270), by the Doria family of Genoa. The castle and the village which gradually formed round it where the seat of the Doria's fiefdom in the island, until it was conquered by the Aragonese in the 15th century.
Castelsardo, now part of the Savoy's Kingdom of Sardinia, obtained its current name by will of King Charles Emmanuel III.