Baldu Palace

Recent archaeological excavations have revealed the remains of Villa de San Steva, a medieval town that has been mentioned in medieval documents dating to the mid-14th century. Studies have shown that the settlement consisted of twenty rooms surrounded by a large pentagonal courtyard, where a quadrilateral construction known as 'Lu Palazzu' of Baldu can be found. Baldu is the name in the Gallurian language of Ubaldo Visconti, the Judge of Gallura from 1212 to 1238. Although some design elements of the medieval fortification are reminiscent of the Italian peninsula, the precise workmanship of the blocks and stylistic elegance of the building suggest quite a mixed residential-administrative building. On the west side of the complex there are massive granite rocks with large cavities that act as natural fortifications. The village structures include houses, shops, kitchens, stables and workshops that gives the idea of a real 'curtis'. This place was a major centre for the territory’s administration, most likely an institutional forum of the Gallura Judicature.