Castelsardo

Coastal rocks shelter Castelsardo from the winds that rage between Sardinia and Corsica. Listed among the borghi più belli d’Italia (the most beautiful villages in Italy), it offers an enormous view on the section of sea that connects Italy to Corsica.

Perched above the sea there is the Church of Sant'Antonio Abate dating from the 1500s, which houses the surprising Madonna in trono by the Master of Castelsardo. In the painting, the influences of Flemish luminosity are entwined with the Gothic style, just as in the architecture, Gothic forms combine with the classical elegance of the Renaissance.

The weaving also returns in the famous cestini (baskets), a symbol of local craftsmanship. You can still see the villagers making them along the narrow streets of the centre. Embroidered in various patterns and shapes, they were used for storing food and, above all, bread.