The Magdalen Fort owes its name to a statue formerly placed in a niche in the tower, popularly called the Magdalenetta. It is one of the three forts built at the end of the 16th century to fortify the land front of the city’s fortifications and consists of an imposing quadrangular structure that, on the north side, incorporates the circular tower of the same name, also known as Garibaldi’s, in memory of the “hero of two worlds” who landed in Alghero in 1855. The tower is already attested in medieval times and has, on the outside, some protruding masonry bodies used as drains for throwing oil and boiling water on enemies. Modified several times during the 1600s and 1700s, the fort appears today completely emptied of the large embankment on which the artillery pieces rested. Demolitions enacted from 1905 to 1914 distorted its original appearance, preserving only the perimeter walls within which are visible remains of arches, buttresses and masonry, including some remains of medieval fortifications. The structure was later used as a shipyard for the construction of typical Alghero wooden boats (spagnolette), becoming an especially cherished place for seafarers.
