The Castiadas penal colony was born in the late 19th century. The entire Region of Sardinia was invested with a major goal: to reclaim and make productive land that tended to be isolated, marshy, and malaria-infested. As many as 8 penal colonies were built in Sardinia: we have the pioneering experiences of San Bartolomeo and Cuguttu, of modest size and attached to the penal baths of Cagliari and Alghero; the three disused colonies of Castiadas, which was the largest penal colony in Italy; that of Tramariglio and Asinara, which became a maximum security prison; and the still active ones of Isili, Mammone and Is Arenas.
The Castiadas penal colony project, came to fruition, when on Aug. 11, 1875 thirty inmates, seven prison guards and warden Cav. Eugenio Cicognani, landed on Sinzas beach.
The goal of the Inspector General of Prisons was to establish a first dwelling, reclaim and rehabilitate territory that had been uninhabited for centuries, 350 years to be exact.
It was the Praidis plain that hosted the building of the colony, thanks to the presence of two rivers: gutturu frascu and baccu sa figu that would ensure survival. Construction began in 1876 and was completed in 1912. The penal colony soon activated the hospital, post office, carpentry, blacksmith workshops, pharmacy and telephone station.
The purpose of the colony, in addition to redeveloping the area, also had a social intent: the inmates would be schooled and learn a trade, which they would be able to practice once their sentence was over.
The penal colony ceased to exist in the early 1950s and was finally closed in 1956.
