Palazzo di Baldu

Lu Palatzu di Baldu is located in the territory of Luogosanto, in the locality of Santu Stevanu, which in the Middle Ages belonged to the Judikat Gallura. The latter was divided into several curatorships, including that of Balaiana, which houses the Villa de Sent Steva archaeological site.Numerous legends that have survived to this day attribute the construction of the Palazzo Lamberto Visconti, in the first quarter of the 13th century, to celebrate the birth of his first son Ubaldo, or the Giudice Giovanni in honor of his father Ubaldo, in 1238.The Lu Palatzu di Baldu complex covers an area of 1,379 m² and consists of a square tower and about 20 rooms arranged around a large pentagonal courtyard with an entrance on the northeast side. The tower in the south-east corner is about 10 meters high, but it was probably higher because, in addition to the three floors, it had to have a terrace that gave a good view of the surroundings.The three floors had a row of windows as well as an outside staircase for access to the upper floor. The lower floor has a cone shape on the outside and a large boulder on the inside.There are a total of 17 rooms with a rectangular shape and different sizes at the enclosure of the inner courtyard.It seems that the studied spaces served residential purposes (warehouses, kitchens, stables) and craft purposes (shops, metalworking). These activities, as well as some characteristics of the tower that are inappropriate for a defensive castle, such as the careful masonry and the large window openings, have led to the hypothesis that it is an important administrative center of the territory of the Judicate of Gallura or a residence.The palazzo was located in an area that offered natural protection, both because of a depression that surrounds the complex and because of the Tafoni rocks, more than 10 meters high, on which the tower, with its three floors on the east and Southeast side: In them the actual defense system can be seen.Outside, remains of walls were found on the west side, which represent the connection to the church of Santo Stefano.Source: virtualarchaeology.sardegnacultura.it/index.php/de/archaeologischer-fundplatz/eta-medievale/palazzo-di-baldu