Carcere dell'Asinara

Carcere dell'Asinara is a former maximum security prison on Asinara Island off the coast of Sardinia, made up of several separate detention sectors. The buildings spread across the bay of Cala d'Oliva, the hamlet of Fornelli, the headland near Santa Maria, and the remote valley of Tumbarino.

The site opened in 1885 as a penal colony and held thousands of prisoners of war from Austria-Hungary during World War I. In the 1970s it was converted into a high-security prison for members of the Red Brigades and leading mafia figures, before operations ended in 1998.

The facility earned its nickname as Italy's Alcatraz and shaped how the island was perceived for more than a century. Visitors today can walk through cell blocks and watch towers that show the severe security architecture of maximum containment.

Access is only possible through guided tours that depart from Porto Torres harbor and must be booked in advance. Sturdy shoes are recommended because the paths connecting the different prison areas run along unpaved trails.

In the 113 years of operation, only one inmate managed to escape from this island. Matteo Boe fled across the sea and actually succeeded in reaching the mainland.

Inception: 1885

GPS coordinates: 41.08472,8.33389

Latest update: December 5, 2025 16:36