Sassai Castle, Medieval fortress in Silius, Italy.

Sassai is a castle near Silius situated on the southern Gerrei plateau in Sardinia. From this location you can see across the territories of San Nicolò Gerrei, Ballao, and Goni.

Built in the 12th century by the judges of Cagliari as a border castle facing the Giudicato of Arborea, it was already Pisan property by 1265. In 1353 Arborean partisans led by Pietro da Sena took it, and it was not re-garrisoned after the peace of 1355. A 1358 Aragonese inventory shows it half-ruined.

The name Orguglioso, or Orgoglioso, belongs to a group of martial castle names such as Gioiosa Guardia, probably echoing the famous chivalric sagas and marking strongholds in strategic positions. The castle stood on a frontier facing the Giudicato of Arborea, and its garrison of 700 cavalry and much infantry in 1314 shows its purely military role.

The castle sits about 3.5 kilometers from Silius town center and can be reached by car or on foot. The old path toward Ballao provides the most direct route to the site.

The 1358 Aragonese inventory depicts the castle as half-ruined, and the draftsman likely never saw it: the sketch matches no part of the actual structure. The castle was never rebuilt after its destruction. Its name, Orguglioso ("proud"), belongs to a series of martial names such as Gioiosa Guardia.