The commercial port of Calasetta is protected by an approximately 300-meter-long, L-shaped breakwater and a 160-meter-long jetty. The water is shallow at the base of Pier “B.” Also, watch out for the Secca del Francese (2.9 m) north of the port, marked by a yellow-and-black cardinal buoy. Mooring is available at Quay “B” for transit vessels only.

The island of Sant’Antioco is located at the southwestern tip of Sardinia, between Capo Teulada to the south and the spectacular Costa Verde to the north. It is about an hour’s drive from Cagliari. Sant’Antioco is connected to Sardinia by an isthmus and a Roman bridge, which allow for quick access.

The island boasts a rare beauty that is still waiting to be discovered, with a rich variety of flora and fauna. The terrain is rocky, with volcanic cliffs that open up into caves and white-sand beaches with crystal-clear water.

The municipality occupies the northwestern part of the island of Sant’Antioco; its western side consists of low hills with cliff-lined coastlines, while the eastern side is flat with shallow waters within the gulf, which lies between the island and Sardinia. The western side is characterized by long, though few, beaches; among them, those exposed to the mistral winds are subject to severe storm surges in winter.

The Calasetta area contains evidence of ancient civilizations: pre-Nuragic, Nuragic, Phoenician, Punic, and Roman settlements. The oldest document referring to the area, the *Compasso da Navegare* from the 8th century, refers to the cove where the town stands as *Porto Barla*.

A Spanish report from 1737 mentions Calaseda, and a document from 1754 refers to the relevant stretch of coastline as Calasera and its hinterland as Cala di Seta. The town’s history began in the second half of the 18th century with the repopulation program for the northern part of the island of San Antioco, established by the Savoy government. In 1769, a group of Tabarchini—that is, people from Pegli and Liguria who had lived for generations on the islet of Tabarca, near Tunis—asked the Savoy government for permission to move to the island of San Antioco. In 1773, the request of several Piedmontese families to move to the new settlement was granted. They were responsible for planting the vineyards, one of the town’s main economic resources. On January 14, 1793, the Calasetta community was occupied by the French, who had established themselves on the island of San Pietro on January 8. This occupation was peaceful and came to an end on May 23 with the arrival of the Spanish fleet. Once the feudal system was abolished and Calasetta became a municipality of the Kingdom, it was incorporated into the district of Iglesias. The parish church dedicated to St. Maurice was built in 1839, and the Town Hall in the main square was constructed in the last decade of the 19th century or the first decade of the 20th century.