Lying on a plain that descends towards the Gulf of Asinara, Porto Torres is one of the most important little towns in the North of Sardinia. It was an important Punic port and after the Roman conquest, started to flourish and reach its moment of glory, as it had a direct link with Rome itself. The town had the name of Turris Lybisonis and was the residence of the governor of the province of Corsica and Sardinia. In the medieval period, the town became the capital of the “Giudicato” of Torres, but following the Saracen raids, the population moved to the hinterland and founded Thathari, today’s Sassari, which became capital of the “Giudicato”. The bishop’s seat was also moved to Sassari and thus, the Turritan Basilica of San Gavino lost its title of cathedral.
There are numerous archaeological complexes found in the territory of Porto Torres, such as the Thermal baths, the “Palazzo of Re Barbaro” and the “Turritan Antiquarian” Museum. The Turritan archaeological area is in fact the largest in Sardinia. Both the Basilica of San Gavino, the Island’s largest Romanesque church, and also the Roman bridge are remarkable. There are also numerous Nuraghic monuments in the communal territory, such as the “Margone”, the “Minciaredda” and the "Nieddu" Nuraghi. Both the tower that stands at the centre of the port and the one at Abbacurrente date back to the Aragonese period; the former was once used as a lighthouse. The Feast of San Pietro is worthy of note, where the religious celebrations are accompanied by music, dancing in the square and poetry concerts. Every year in May the Turritan martyrs are commemorated with a festival, the most important and the most attended in the city, "Sa Festha Manna".