Porto Flavia
Italy’s Architectural Wonder on the Cliff
On the southwestern coast of Sardinia, Italy, Porto Flavia stands as an extraordinary engineering marvel. Hanging from a cliff, this unique seaport, constructed between 1923 and 1924, showcases human ingenuity in facilitating the export of various minerals. Located in the municipality of Iglesias, it played a pivotal role in streamlining the transportation of coal, barium, zinc, sulphur, lead, and silver from mines directly to ships waiting at the mouth of the sea.
Built by the visionary engineer Cesare Vecelli, Porto Flavia is not only utilitarian but also possesses aesthetic charm, with its construction directly on the cliff’s wall and intricate tunnels connecting it to the summit. The port’s name, Porto Flavia, carries a personal touch, paying homage to Vecelli’s daughter.
As Sardinia experienced a thriving period of mining in the 19th and 20th centuries, Porto Flavia serves as a tangible monument to that industrial era. Guided tours, at a cost of 10 euros per person, offer a captivating exploration of the tunnels and conveyance systems that once efficiently transported minerals, providing a firsthand experience of this suspended engineering wonder.
