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western part of the current town and include the thermal baths, the<br />
bridge that still nowadays crosses the Rio Mannu, and the archaeological<br />
remains housed in the Antiquarium Turritano. After a period of decline,<br />
the town regained its vitality with the rise of the maritime Republics of Pisa<br />
and Genoa, and later flourished under the Judicate of Torres as a site of<br />
the Turritan diocese. The Aragonese conquest marked the beginning of a<br />
new period of decline, especially following relocation of the bishop to<br />
Sassari. Of medieval age, Porto Torres can boast one of the most ancient,<br />
most grandiose in size (about 70 m in length), and undoubtedly amongst<br />
the most outstanding examples of Romanesque architecture in Sardinia:<br />
the basilica of San Gavino. Built between the end of the XI and the<br />
beginning of the XII century, it preserves on its northern side the only<br />
surviving Romanesque portal, decorated with human and animal<br />
sculptures. On its southern side, the overwhelming Gothic-Catalan twin<br />
portal opens. The interior, wide and solemn, is divided into three naves,<br />
with arches resting on large-built cruciform pillars and columns with<br />
capitals of Classical Age. The central nave is covered by wooden trusses,<br />
the lateral ones by cross vaults. Displayed near the eastern apse, on a<br />
catafalque, are the three wooden statues of the Turritan martyrs Gavino,<br />
Proto and Gianuario, in whose honour the worship site was founded. Their<br />
remains are thought to rest inside the Roman sarcophagi of the crypt.<br />
Worth visiting is also the church of San Gavino a Mare, located near the<br />
ancient eastern necropolis of Turris Libisonis, built about the mid-1800s on<br />
the site where, according to tradition, the martyrdom and first burial of<br />
Gavino, Proto and Gianuario would have occurred. The church features an<br />
upper-mediaeval crypt and, adjacent to it, two hypogea used as burial sites<br />
until Paleochristian Age.<br />
Finally, not far from town, is the prenuragic complex of Monte d’Accoddi,<br />
the only example in the Mediterranean of a megalithic altar, dating to the<br />
Age of Copper and featuring an interesting structure reminding of the<br />
Mesopotamic ziggurat.<br />
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