Fertilia: Hotels and the history of the garden city

Fertilia brings together the history of a planned founding town and themes related to the lagoon, routes and coast. These highlights give you a practical starting point for planning your trip.

Fertilia’s urban planning and memory

Fertilia was officially founded on 8 March 1936. The town was designed according to Ebenezer Howard’s garden city model and retains features of rationalist architecture associated with the fascist founding towns of the interwar period. This combination makes Fertilia a destination where the planning concept and architectural language can be considered together. The garden city model refers to the town-planning concept; the rationalist features relate to the architecture. This distinction is useful when planning a trip, as it draws attention both to the town’s concept and to its concrete design.

Piazza Venezia Giulia brings the planning concept to life: its layout is exedra-shaped and follows the original 1935 plan by engineer Arturo Miraglia. The square offers a point of reference for considering the design alongside the town’s history. For the seafront Piazza 9 maggio, the design drawings called for a rotunda symbolising the bow of a ship projecting out over the sea. The two squares have different focal points: Piazza Venezia Giulia centres on its layout, while Piazza 9 maggio features the maritime motif envisioned in the drawings.

The bronze statue of the winged Lion of Saint Mark commemorates the Julian and Dalmatian exiles who arrived from their homeland in 1947. The Ecomuseo Egea conveys the story of a diverse community whose members rebuilt their lives in freedom far from home. The project extends from the “Ex Officine” museum pavilion to the founding town of Fertilia and its diverse community. The monument and the Ecomuseo offer different ways to engage with this memory: a tangible symbol and the broader story of a community.

Lagoon, routes and coast

The Calich Lagoon covers approximately 92 hectares and is about 1.5 metres deep on average. It is recognised at both national and EU level as a wetland of high conservation value. The approximate measurements describe its size; its recognition highlights its importance for nature conservation.

The Porto Conte Nature Park’s network of routes includes nature trails around the Calich Lagoon. A walking and cycling path runs along the lagoon towards the Roman bridge. Another cycling route is a coastal cycle path about five kilometres long between Fertilia and Alghero. These details can be distinguished when planning: the lagoon-side path is described as heading towards the Roman bridge, while the coastal route is given an approximate length and two endpoints.

Punta Negra offers another coastal highlight: the small cove beach lies in the bay of the same name, along the route from Fertilia towards Porto Conte.

Discover more destinations: Maristella, Santa Vittoria, Lu Bagnu, Platamona, Ozieri, Tergu, Usini, Villa Gorizia.

For the broader travel overview: Sassari.