Alghero 373
by Peter III in 1354. At the time, Peter expressed a respectful and concerned
admiration of Alghero: “Lloc [...] ben murat, vall e controvall, e fornit de molta
bona gent, especialment de molts ballestrers de Gènova.”31 The stretch of wall in
question was also characterized by the presence of a postern, which remained
in use even during the Catalan period and throughout the entire fifteenth and
perhaps part of the sixteenth centuries, until the construction of the fortress.
At present, the historical interpretation of the important archaeologi-
cal documents uncovered during the urban renewal project at the fortress of
Maddalena is contingent upon the limited scale of the excavations (which
could be expanded to cover a greater surface) and further in-depth analysis
of the typology of the finds, from which a chronology of the formation of the
embankment could be deduced with the highest degree of precision.32 This area
is preferred for seeking to understand more about the walls of the medieval city
century is compatible with indicators from the stratigraphic sequence linked to the wall;
see Castellaccio, “Mura e torri difensive,” p. 391.
31 Castellaccio, “Mura e torri difensive,” pp. 393, 399.
32 The earliest discussions can be found in Marco Milanese and Alessandra Carlini,
“Ceramiche invetriate nella Sardegna nord-occidentale e negli scavi di Alghero (fine
Figure 14.8
Medieval walls part of the Maddalena
To w e r.