Carloforte is a municipality of Sardinia in the province of Carbonia-Iglesias. It occupies the whole of the island of Sant Pedro at 10 km to the west of Sardinia.

San Pedro Island extends to 51 square kilometres, and is the second largest of the archipelago. Its coastline comprises high, damp rocks rising from a crystalline sea, while thick woods of carrasco pine, rosemary, and dwarf palms cover the interior. The island is of volcanic origin and is famous from a geological standpoint, the rocks known as “commenditi” taking their name from a particular area where they were originally studied and classified.

Carloforte is the only city on the island. It was founded during the reign of Carlos Emanuele III, by a colony of fishermen from Liguria Tabarka, an island of the coast of Tunisia. The origin of its inhabitants is reflected in their dialect, traditions and customs, as well as in the urban style as seen in the old part of the city. During the first years of the colonisation the village was limited to within some circular walls, and the castle, the church and the Duke’s house were the only stone buildings.

The predominant wind is the Mistral, blowing from the northwest. Its effects are clearly visible in the vegetation and above all in the pine trees of scant foliage often bending towards the southeast. Due to the strong winds, often reaching 100km per hour in winter, the sky is almost never overcast. In general the climate is rather mild, and it is not unusual, even in January, to enjoy beautiful, sunny days. The north and west of the coast are more wild and virgin, and are typified by outcrops and recesses in rocks that sometimes climb to 150 metres in height.