The crossing from Palau to the island of La Maddalena
takes 20 mins. by ferry. La Maddalena gives its name to the whole Archipelago which
includes seven islands and several islets, gathered in a unique administrative unit. The
islands are: La Maddalena , Caprera, Spargi, Budelli, S. Maria and Razzoli. The islets are
named: Porco,Pecora, Spargiotto, Berrettini, Corcelli, Piana and La Presa. They are all
uninhabited apart from La Maddalena, with its strong and ancient fishing and
sea-trade traditions which are the bases of its growth and development and have made of it
a very important centre. They are very few episodes worthly of note in the history of the
Archipelago: in ancient times these islands used to be called "Isole Cunicolari"
while in the Middle Ages, under the Pisan and Genoese rule they became "Isole dei
Carugi" or "dei Vicoli" (both words mean alley). When Sardinia was handed
over to the House of Savoy (1720), there were hardly any inhabitants on the Archipelago:
in fact there were only the officers of the sardinian Navy, entrusted with the defence of
the islands against pirate raids. It was only in 1770 that a first group of civilians
actually settled at Cala Gavetta, the nucleus which gave origin to the present town.
During the war between Fance and the "Regno di Sardegna", a small military
expedition, with the captain Napoleon Bonaparte in its ranks, landed on La
Maddalena and held it for three days. It was Bonaparte himself who directed the shelling
of the town, which anyway held outand, in the end, drove back the assailants, thanks also
to the tenacity of a 
heroic officer, Domenico Millelire,
who received the first medal for military valour of the Regno sardo. Around 1887 the
archipelago was chosen by the Italian Government as a base for the Navy and that started
the growth of the town. To see in town there is the piazza del Comando, with the
Palazzetto dell'Ammiragliato rising on one side. Very picturesque is also Cala Gavetta,
always busy with fishing boats. The visit to the island is only possiblethe shelling of
the town, which anyway held outand, in the end, drove back the assailants, thanks also to
the tenacity of a heroic officer, Domenico Millelire, who received the first medal for
military valour of the Regno sardo. Around 1887 the archipelago was chosen by the Italian
Government as a base for the Navy and that started the growth of the town. To see in town
there is the piazza del Comando, with the Palazzetto dell'Ammiragliato rising on one side.
Very picturesque is also Cala Gavetta, always busy with fishing boats. The visit to
the island is only possible by boat but it is really worth it, if you ddon't want
to miss the lovely scenery offered by the string of beautiful beaches which go under
the evocative names of Spiaggia Rosa, Tahiti, Cala Napoletana, Cala Corsara and many
others.