The Asinara prison was an active penitentiary in the Island until 1998 and in 2002 it became a National Park and a Marine Protected Area.The Fornelli prison is the first prison structure built on the island. Then others were opened and some were used as agricultural penal colonies. (The central branch is in Cala D’oliva, a few kilometers away)
During the years of lead this prison was used for the imprisonment of members of the Red Brigades and on that occasion the cells of maximum security were equipped. In Cala D’Oliva the judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino stayed, who spent a short time on the island during the trial of the boss of Cosa Nostra Totò Riina. Numerous other prisoners sentenced to the regime of the hard prison (according to the  article 41-bis of the law of 26 July 1975, No. 354) were imprisoned in this structure until 1995. Among the prisoners there was also the then boss of the Camorra Raffaele Cutolo. The prison of Asinara has been renamed “The second Alcatraz” because in the 112 years of activity (against the 29 of the Alcatraz prison) only one inmate, Matteo Boe, managed to escape.

The Austro – Hungarian Ossuary: The Austro-Hungarian Ossuary dates back to 1936 and was requested by the Austrian government.It contains the remains of about 7048 Austro-Hungarian soldiers, dating back to the First  World War. The bones are positioned in the 18 windows that are present in the only room that makes up the Ossuary. In addition, inside, there are three paintings representing St. Stephen, the Madonna and St. Joseph.

The Austro-Hungarian Chapel: At the end of the First World War, in 1915, prisoners of war were poured into the Asinara hospital. During their stay on the island the prisoners worked on the construction of various construction and environmental remediation works. Thus, in this context, the Austro-Hungarian chapel was built, strongly desired by the priests in order to offer religious assistance to prisoners of war on the island.

The church: The structure was initially used as a crematorium and later transformed into a church around 1950. The structure is composed of 3 naves, of which the central one ends with an apse to N, in the facade there are 2 granite columns on which rests the eardrum.

The hospital. It is part of the maritime health station, and was completed in 1889. The architecture is interesting and particular and the structure reflects the era in which it was built. Near the hospital there is the bacteriological laboratory also built in the maximum period of maximum attendance at the health station.