CAGLIARI | SARDINIA

Discover Cagliari

Cagliari, in dialect Castèddu, is one of the Sardinian provinces with the most culturally rich locations.
A focus of great historical interest is the National Archaeological Museum, where Sardinia’s history is presented chronologically from the Neolithic Period to the Early Middle Ages.
In addition to the chronological route, other collections of materials are arranged according to the areas in which they were found.
The museum houses interesting Bronze Age sculptures from the Nauraghic Period, among them those of Teti-Abini and Santa Vittoria di Serri.

Worth visiting are the ruins of the Roman amphitheatre that was destroyed to build the city’s protective walls.  During bombing raids in the Second World War many evacuees found shelter in the amphitheatre’s underground areas. It is located between the Castello district and that of Sant'Avendrace.
The Basilica of S. Saturnino in Cagliari has the fame of being the oldest church in the region!
Two districts of Cagliari represent two distinct social classes: the Marina and Villanova district is the fishermen’s area, whereas Stampace is a middle class zone.

On a walk through these historic neighbourhoods you can visit the Baroque churches of S. Michele, S. Efisio, the Holy Sepulchre, and the Aragonese-Gothic Church of S. Giacomo.
Cagliari beach stretches for a good eight kilometres and includes wonderful locations such as Quarto Sant'Elena and La Sella del Diavolo.
An amusing legend tells that the Devil was enthralled by the beauty of these places and wanted to own them. God therefore sent angels to defend them, hence the name Golfo degli Angeli (Bay of Angels). Legend also says that as the Devil was fleeing he was thrown from his horse and lost his saddle. The saddle fell into the sea in the bay and turned into the stone that forms today’s promontory. An alternative ending to the legend claims that during the battle the Devil fell onto the promontory, creating the rock formation we see today, which is why it’s called the Sella del Diavolo (The Devil’s Saddle).