The Alcamo Stronghold: Multi-Scalar Survey and Hybrid Representation of the Sardinian Defensive Front (1942–1943)

Giancarlo Sanna

;Andrea Pirinu;Andrés Martínez Medina;Nicola Paba

2026-01-01

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Abstract

During the Second World War, the south-eastern coastline of Sardinia was equipped with a multilayered defensive system. The first coastal line was intended to repel amphibious landings, while anti-ship and anti-aircraft batteries, positioned in strategic locations, secured maritime and aerial spaces in defence of major infrastructures. A second, more structured line developed along the inland hills, designed to counter and neutralize advancing ground forces. In Quartu Sant’Elena, this line materialized in a containment arc, consisting of 19 strongholds, among which stronghold no. 2, code-named Alcamo, occupied a commanding position over the Gulf of Angels. The complex comprises six reinforced-concrete multi-weapon bunkers with distinct planimetric configurations. Its elevated position also enhances its panoramic value, offering today a privileged vantage point for interpreting the surrounding landscape, at the intersection between military memory and environmental perception. Through an integrated and multiscalar methodological approach—combining historical sources, architectural survey, and landscape representation—it is possible to more accurately reconstruct construction features, settlement logics, and environmental integration. The results, framed within a broader investigation encompassing both the Sardinian coastline and the Mediterranean coasts of Spain, contribute to a deeper understanding of the defensive system and provide operative bases for future actions of preservation and valorisation of the military landscape.