The Tower of San Pancrazio, standing almost 30 metres high, is the tallest tower in Cagliari and takes its name from a small church dedicated to the saint, which stood nearby in ancient times.
It was erected in 1305 under the House of Pisa domination, from a project by the architect, Giovanni Capula. Together with its twin, the Torre dell’Elefante, it acted as a gateway to Castello and a defensive fortress.
Built using blocks of limestone from Bonaria, it is U-shaped, with an exposed side facing piazza Arsenale. Embrasures and wooden ledges opened up along the thick, enclosed sides, facing the outside of the Castello neighbourhood.
During the Aragonese domination, warehouses and houses obstructed the exposed side. In the same era, the tower was used as a prison. The fortification continued to be used like this up until 1887-97 when the Buoncammino prison was built.
In the early years of the twentieth century, the Archaeological Heritage Authorities used the space as a deposit and under the guidance of the engineer, Dionigi Scano supervised its restoration.
Following a recent restoration project, the re-outfitting of the entire complex was contemplated with its spaces being designated for museum and exhibition purposes, creating the Spazio San Pancrazio.
