In 1875 the largest penal colony in Italy was opened in Castiadas, and remained in use until 1956.

The construction of the penal colony was part of a larger initiative to repopulate areas of Sardinia that had been abandoned because of malaria and to transform marshy, unproductive land into farmland.

[2] The history of the colony is recounted in Il miracolo dei rei, a documentary film by Alessandra Usai.

[3] The area was populated by italian-tunisians, mainly of sicilian descent, immigrated here from Bizerte in 1965.

[4] Castiadas borders the following municipalities: Maracalagonis, Muravera, San Vito, Sinnai, Villasimius.