Walking through the lanes of Castelsardo's upper town, you will regularly encounter older women sitting at their doorsteps weaving baskets, bags, and household objects from dwarf palm leaves (Chamaerops humilis) and dried asphodel. The craft has been practised here for centuries and is still genuinely alive rather than staged for tourists — the women sell their work from their own homes and from small shops in the medieval lanes.
The techniques and patterns are specific to the Anglona region, and Castelsardo baskets are recognisable throughout Sardinia. Good pieces are not cheap — a proper hand-woven bag can take several days to complete — but the quality is evident. The better items are distinctive enough to be worth carrying home.