On the top of a basalt hill at a few kilometers from Cuglieri rise the ruins of the Montiferru Castle, named Casteddu Etzu ("Old Castle" in Sardinian), that are today remains of towers and walls and some subterranean rooms, that were probably tanks. When we reach the ruins, we have a wonderful 360-degrees view on the Montiferru and the coastline.
The Montiferru Castle was built in 1186, wanted by Ittocorre, the King of Torres’ brother, to protect the boundaries with the Kingdom of Arborea: nevertheless, during the 13th century, the castle together with the neighboring territories was annexed to the Kingdom of Arborea by the king Mariano II. During the 14th, with the passage of the island under the Aragonese domination, the castle lost its defence purpose and changed several hands, and during the 15th century it was owned by the Spanish family of the Zatrillas who got it until 1670, when the castle was abandoned.
It is told that in 1668 Francesca Zatrillas, marquise of Laconi and wife of Agostino di Castelvì, found refuge there to escape from law, as she was accused of having killed her husband and being involved with the conspiracy against the viceroy Camarassa. The marquise managed them to escape and sail to Livorno.
According to another legend, the family of the last master of the castle would have been exterminated in a battle, and only the youngest child and his nanny had survived, and they lied hidden in the underground until their death. It is said that during the windy nights, the lullabies sung by the nanny to the boy can be heard around.
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