Walls of Iglesias, Medieval city walls in Iglesias, Italy

The Walls of Iglesias form a medieval fortification system surrounding the historic center with approximately twenty towers. These towers reach about ten meters in height, arranged in a polygonal pattern with stones laid in horizontal courses throughout the structure.

Iglesias, then called Villa di Chiesa, was fortified from the second half of the 13th century under the della Gherardesca family. A 1308 dossier by the Pisan Vanni Gattarelli for King James II of Aragon records a polygonal wall with 20 towers about 10 m high, a wooden palisade and a moat. The walls and nearby Salvaterra Castle were repeatedly rebuilt during 14th-century wars between Pisans and Aragonese, then Aragonese and Arborensi.

The gates' names survive in the streets they opened onto: Porta Maestra stood at today's via Azuni, Porta Castello at via Cagliari, Porta Sant'Antonio on the street of the same name, and Porta Nuova at via Baudi di Vesme. Only the stretches of wall facing the last two gates still stand.

The northern sections of the walls remain well preserved and accessible for viewing, while southern portions have been integrated into residential buildings. Plan your route with this variation in mind, as some sections are more open than others.

The walls were originally reinforced with wooden palisades in addition to their stone construction, offering an extra defensive layer. A surrounding moat was part of this layered approach, designed to prevent attacking forces and their siege equipment from reaching the fortifications.