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60-580: The Palazzo Regio (English: "Royal palace"), also known as Viceregio (English: "Viceroyal palace"), is a historic building in Cagliari , the ancient residence of the representative of the king of Sardinia during the Aragonese , Spanish and Savoy domination and now the seat of the Metropolitan City of Cagliari . It is located in the historical Castello district. The building had been originally built in

120-503: A hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen : Csa ), with hot, dry summers and mild winters like other historical regions along the coast. Its precipitation values also bring it closer to semi-arid conditions. The summer extreme values can be slightly over 40 °C (104 °F), sometimes with very high humidity, while in winter, under special and rare conditions, the temperature drops slightly below zero. Heavy snowfalls occur on average every thirty years. The average temperature of

180-594: A viceroy , who resided in the Palazzo Regio . In the 16th century the fortifications of the city were strengthened with the construction of the bastions and the rights and benefits of the Aragonese were extended to all citizens. The intellectual life was relatively lively and in the early years of the 17th century the university was founded. In 1718, after a brief rule by the Habsburgs , Cagliari and Sardinia came under

240-399: A large Carthaginian era necropolis , a Roman era amphitheatre , a Byzantine basilica , three Pisan-era towers and a strong system of fortification that made the town the core of Spanish Habsburg imperial power in the western Mediterranean Sea . Its natural resources have always been its sheltered harbour, the often powerfully fortified hill of Castel di Castro , the modern Casteddu ,

300-628: A little more than 100 metres (330 ft) above sea level on the long plains of Campidano. The plain is actually a Graben formed during the Alpine orogeny of the Cenozoic , which separated Sardinia from the European continent, roughly where the Gulf of Lion is now. The Graben filled in the course of tectonic movements associated with the breakup of the ancient island Paleozoic skeleton. The repeated intrusion of

360-484: A narrow channel with the bay, which appears from Claudian to have been used in ancient times as an inner harbor or basin. The promontory adjoining the city is evidently that noticed by Ptolemy ( Κάραλις πόλις καὶ ἄκρα ), but the Caralitanum Promontorium of Pliny can be no other than the headland, now called Capo Carbonara , which forms the eastern boundary of the Gulf of Cagliari and the southeast point of

420-618: A town known as Metalla . From this period dates the construction of the Temple of Antas at Fluminimaggiore, dedicated to the cult of the Sardus Pater . In the Middle Ages, the Pisans founded here the mining town of Villa di Chiesa (modern Iglesias), which soon became one the largest in the island. Later it was conquered by the Aragonese , who held it until 1720, when the house of Savoy acquired

480-669: A unitary state. Although Sardinian by name, the kingdom had its parliament in Turin , where the Savoys resided, and its members were mainly aristocrats from Piedmont or the mainland. In the late 18th century during the French Revolutionary Wars France tried to conquer Cagliari because of its strategic role in the Mediterranean sea ( Expédition de Sardaigne ). A French army landed on Poetto beach and advanced towards Cagliari, but

540-460: Is 2.11 and the percentage of households composed of a single person is 42.53%. The population of Cagliari is structured like that of other first world countries, especially as to the prevalence of an elderly population. The trend of these rates in the Cagliari metropolitan area is proportionally reversed in the suburbs, where most younger families move. As of 2020 , 5.8% (8,796 people) of the population

600-496: Is Cagliari: a naked town rising steep, steep, golden-looking, piled naked to the sky from the plain at the head of the formless hollow bay. It is strange and rather wonderful, not a bit like Italy. The city piles up lofty and almost miniature, and makes me think of Jerusalem: without trees, without cover, rising rather bare and proud, remote as if back in history, like a town in a monkish, illuminated missal. One wonders how it ever got there. And it seems like Spain—or Malta: not Italy. It

660-499: Is a steep and lonely city, treeless, as in some old illumination. Yet withal rather jewel-like: like a sudden rose-cut amber jewel naked at the depth of the vast indenture. The air is cold, blowing bleak and bitter, the sky is all curd. And that is Cagliari. It has that curious look, as if it could be seen, but not entered. It is like some vision, some memory, something that has passed away. Impossible that one can actually walk in that city: set foot there and eat and laugh there. Ah, no! Yet

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720-686: Is also Sardinia's economic and industrial hub, having one of the biggest ports in the Mediterranean Sea , an international airport , and the 106th highest income level in Italy (among 8,092 comuni ), comparable to that of several northern Italian cities. It is also the seat of the University of Cagliari , founded in 1607, and of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cagliari , since the 5th century AD. The Cagliari area has been inhabited since

780-410: Is an Italian municipality and the capital and largest city of the island of Sardinia , an autonomous region of Italy . It has about 155,000 inhabitants, while its metropolitan city (including Cagliari and 16 other nearby municipalities) has about 420,000 inhabitants. According to Eurostat , the population of the functional urban area , the commuting zone of Cagliari, rises to 476,975. Cagliari

840-518: Is located to the west of the Castello. A Christian community is attested in Cagliari at least as early as the 3rd century, and by the end of that century the city had a Christian bishop. In the middle decades of the 4th century bishop Lucifer of Cagliari was exiled because of his opposition to the sentence against Athanasius of Alexandria at the Synod of Milan . He was banished to the desert of Thebais by

900-582: Is one of the "greenest" Italian cities. Every inhabitant of Cagliari has access to 87.5 square metres (942 sq ft) of public gardens and parks. Its mild climate allows the growth of numerous subtropical plants, such as Jacaranda mimosifolia , Ficus macrophylla , with some huge specimens in Via Roma and in the University Botanic Gardens , Erythrina afra with its stunning red flowers, Ficus retusa , which provides shade for several of

960-496: Is the 26th largest city in Italy and the largest city on the island of Sardinia. An ancient city with a long history, Cagliari has seen the rule of several civilisations. Under the buildings of the modern city there is a continuous stratification attesting to human settlement over the course of some five thousand years, from the Neolithic to today. Historical sites include the prehistoric Domus de Janas , very damaged by cave activity,

1020-510: Is the starting and ending point of the Path of 100 Towers , which consist of a trekking route named after the 105 towers located along the whole Sardinian coast. The main beach of Cagliari is the Poetto. It stretches for about 8 kilometres (5 mi), from Sella del Diavolo ("Devil's Saddle") up to the coastline of Quartu Sant'Elena. Poetto is also the name of the district located on the western stretch of

1080-706: The Allies in February 1943. In order to escape from the danger of bombardments and difficult living conditions, many people were evacuated from the city into the countryside. In total the victims of the bombings were more than 2000 and about 80% of the buildings were damaged. The city received the Gold Medal of Military Valour . After the Italian armistice with the Allies in September 1943,

1140-591: The German Army took control of Cagliari and the island, but soon retreated peacefully in order to reinforce their positions in mainland Italy. The American Army then took control of Cagliari. Airports near the city ( Elmas , Monserrato , Decimomannu , currently a NATO airbase) were used by Allied aircraft to fly to North Africa or mainland Italy and Sicily . After the war, the population of Cagliari grew again and many apartment blocks and recreational areas were erected in new residential districts. And suddenly there

1200-605: The House of Savoy . As rulers of Sardinia, the Savoys took the title of kings of the Sardinian kingdom. During the Savoyard Era, until 1848, the institutions of the Sardinian kingdom remained unchanged, but with the " Perfect Fusion " in that year, all the possessions of the House of Savoy House, comprising Savoy , Nice (now part of France ), Piedmont and from 1815 Liguria , were merged into

1260-460: The Kingdom of Sardinia . During the 17th-18th century were refounded the villages of Musei , Gonnesa and Fluminimaggiore . From the mid-19th century the mining activity resumed at a rapid pace which led to the opening of the mines of Monteponi, Ingurtosu, Montevecchio and the mining villages of Buggerru , Nebida, San Benedetto and Gennas Serapis. Recently, the decline of the mining sector has caused

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1320-530: The Neolithic . It occupies a favourable position between the sea and a fertile plain and is surrounded by two marshes (which provides defence against attacks from the inland). There are high mountains nearby, to which people could evacuate if the settlement had to be given up. Relics of prehistoric inhabitants were found in the hill of Monte Claro ( Monte Claro culture ) and in Cape Sant'Elia (several domus de janas ). Karaly ( Punic : 𐤊𐤓𐤋‬𐤉 , KRLY )

1380-668: The Second Punic War , Caralis was the headquarters of the praetor, Titus Manlius Torquatus , whence he conducted his operations against Hampsicora and the Carthaginians. At other times it was also the Romans' chief naval station on the island and the residence of its praetor. The Romans built a new settlement east of the old Punic city, the vicus munitus Caralis (i.e. the fortified community of Caralis) mentioned by Varro Atacinus . The two urban agglomerations merged gradually during

1440-453: The mistral and sirocco ; in summer a marine sirocco breeze (called s'imbattu in Sardinian language ) lowers the temperature and brings some relief from the heat. According to ISTAT, in 2014 there were 154,356 people residing in Cagliari (+3.0% compared with 2011), of whom 71,522 were male and 82,834 female for a sex ratio of 0.86. Minors (children aged 18 and younger) totaled 12.92% of

1500-582: The salt from its lagoons, and, from the hinterland , wheat from the Campidano plain and silver and other ores from the Iglesiente mines. Cagliari was the capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia from 1324 to 1848, when Turin became the formal capital of the kingdom (which in 1861 became the Kingdom of Italy ). Today the city is a regional cultural, educational, political and artistic centre, known for its diverse Art Nouveau architecture and several monuments. It

1560-515: The 14th century and became the seat of the viceroy since 1337, at the behest of Peter IV of Aragon . Over the centuries the building underwent several modifications and extensions. Particularly significant were the 18th century restorations; in 1730, at the hands of the Piedmontese engineers de Guibert and de Vincenti it was built the grand staircase leading to the main floor, the rooms of which were restored in 1735 by della Vallea. The west facade, with

1620-613: The French were defeated by Sardinians who had decided to defend themselves against the revolutionary army. The people of Cagliari hoped to receive some concession from the Savoys in return for their defence of the town. For example, aristocrats from Cagliari asked for a Sardinian representative in the parliament of the kingdom. When the Savoyards refused any concession to the Sardinians, the inhabitants of Cagliari rose up against them and expelled all

1680-618: The Vandals, Ostrogoths , and then part of the Byzantine Empire , Cagliari became the capital of a gradually independent Judicate , (from Latin Iudex, Governor and Supreme Magistrate, used in late Roman and Byzantine period, along with the medieval Greek ἄρχων). This state was born around 1020 and was overthrown by the Republic of Pisa in 1258. Due to the overlap of buildings since the year 800 B.C., and

1740-695: The administrative capital of the newborn Kingdom of Sardinia , one of the many kingdoms forming the Crown of Aragon, which later came under the rule of the Spanish Empire . After the expulsion of the Tuscans, the Castello district was repopulated by the Aragonese settlers of Bonaria while the indigenous population was, as in the past, concentrated in Stampace and Villanova. The kings of Sardinia , also kings of Aragon and later kings of Spain , were represented in Cagliari by

1800-427: The bay, the plain, and the mountains that surround it on the east (The Seven Brothers and Serpeddì) and west (the mountains of Capoterra ). On the cold, clear days of winter, the snowy peaks of Gennargentu can be seen from the highest points of the city. The city has four historic neighbourhoods: Castello, Marina, Stampace and Villanova and several modern districts (such as San Benedetto, Monte Urpinu and Genneruxi at

1860-735: The capital of the Giudicato was located around the road that it directed towards Sassari , today called Corso Vittorio Emanuele II (in Sardinian language: Su Brugu, the borough), although there are not yet archeological confirmations, particularly of the Cathedral and the Judex Palace, destroyed after the Pisan conquest. The Judicate of Cagliari comprised a large area of the Campidano plain, the Sulcis - Iglesiente and

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1920-415: The city experienced a century of rapid growth. Numerous buildings combined influences from Art Nouveau together with the traditional Sardinian taste for floral decoration; an example is the white marble City Hall near the port. Many buildings were erected by the end of the 19th century during the term of office of mayor Ottone Bacaredda . In 1905 he had to face up to the a violent, bloody revolt against

1980-556: The city's streets, Araucaria heterophylla , the date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera ), the Canary Islands palm ( Phoenix canariensis ) and the Mexican Fan Palm ( Washingtonia robusta ). Major city parks include: The Molentargius - Saline Regional Park is located near the city. Some mountain parks, such as Monte Arcosu or Maidopis, with large forests and wildlife (Sardinian deer, wild boars, etc.) are also nearby. The city

2040-499: The coldest month, January, is about 10 °C (50 °F), and of the warmest month, August, about 25 °C (77 °F). But heat waves can occur, due to African anticyclone, starting in June. From mid-June to mid-September, rain is a rare event, limited to brief afternoon storms. The rainy season starts in September, and the first cold days come in December. Winds are frequent, especially

2100-477: The current district of Castello were built by the Pisans, including the two remaining white limestone towers (early 14th century) designed by the architect Giovanni Capula . Together with the district of Castello, Castel di Castro comprised the districts of Marina (which included the port), and later Stampace  [ it ] and Villanova. Marina and Stampace were guarded by walls, in contrast to Villanova, which

2160-469: The east, Sant'Avendrace at the west, Is Mirrionis/San Michele at north and Bonaria, La Palma and Poetto at the south), grown when part of the ancient walls had been demolished in the middle of the 19th century. The comune of Cagliari has one circoscrizione , the town of Pirri (about 30.000 inhabitants), former village of the Campidano absorbed in the fast growth after the Second World War . Cagliari

2220-473: The emperor Constantius II . Claudian describes the ancient city of Karalis as extending to a considerable length towards the promontory or headland, the projection of which sheltered its port. The port affords good anchorage for large vessels, but besides this, which is only a well-sheltered standby, there is a large salt-water lake or lagoon, called the Stagno di Cagliari , adjoining the city and communicating by

2280-525: The exorbitant cost of living, stoked by his political opponents and which caused a number of victims and extensive material damage. After various other ups and downs, and following another resignation, he was returned to office between 1911 and 1917. Ottone Bacaredda died in his modest house in Via San Giovanni, on 26 December 1921, During the Second World War Cagliari was heavily bombed by

2340-419: The judikessa Benedetta of Cagliari to give him the mount located east of Santa Igia . Soon (1216–17) Pisan merchants established there a new fortified city, known as Castel di Castro , which can be considered the ancestor of the modern city of Cagliari. In 1258, after the defeat of William III , the last king of Cagliari, the Pisans and their Sardinian allies ( Arborea , Gallura and Logudoro ) destroyed

2400-514: The large Tuvixeddu necropolis and other remains. Cagliari was a fortified settlement in what is now the modern Marina quarter, with an annexed holy area in the modern Stampace. Sardinia and Cagliari came under Roman rule in 238 BC, shortly after the First Punic War , when the Romans defeated the Carthaginians. No mention of it is found on the occasion of the Roman conquest of the island but, during

2460-461: The main portal in line with the staircase, was arranged by 1769, as evidenced by the inscription on the window bezel door that opens onto the central balcony. Between 1799 and 1815 the palace was the official residence of the royal family and the court, in exile from Turin occupied by Napoleon . In 1885 the palace became property of the Province, who established its representative office and oversaw

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2520-587: The mountain region of Ogliastra . During the 11th century, the Republic of Pisa began to extend its political influence over the Judgedom of Cagliari. Pisa and the maritime republic of Genoa had a keen interest in Sardinia because it was a perfect strategic base for controlling the commercial routes between Italy and North Africa. In 1215 the Pisan Lamberto Visconti , husband of Elena of Gallura , forced

2580-493: The mountain tribes. In the Civil War between Caesar and Pompey , the citizens of Caralis were the first to declare in favor of the former, an example soon followed by the other cities of Sardinia; and Caesar himself touched there with his fleet on his return from Africa. A few years later, when Sardinia fell into the hands of Menas , the lieutenant of Sextus Pompeius , Caralis was the only city which offered any resistance, but

2640-460: The old capital of Santa Igia. The Judgedom of Cagliari was then divided into three parts: the northeast third went to Gallura; the central portion was incorporated into Arborea; Sulcis and Iglesiente , on the southwest, were given to the Pisan della Gherardesca family, while the Republic of Pisa maintained control over its colony of Castel di Castro. Some of the fortifications that still surround

2700-424: The population, compared to pensioners at 24.81%. The average age of Cagliari residents is 47.44. The ratio of the population over 65 years of age to that under the age of 18, is 53.39%. The elderly population, defined as being over 65 years of age, has increased by 21.95% over the last 10 years. The current birth rate in Cagliari is 6.29 births per 1,000 inhabitants. The average number of people of any age per household

2760-408: The representatives of the kingdom along with the Piedmontese rulers. This insurgence is celebrated in Cagliari during Sa die de sa Sardigna ("The day of Sardinia") on the last weekend of April. However, the Savoys regained control of the town after a brief period of autonomous rule. The population by the 1840s had reached 29,000. Starting in the 1870s, in the wake of the unification of Italy ,

2820-680: The restoration of the interior, in order to adapt to the new function. In 1893 began the work of decoration on the Council room, by the Perugian Domenico Bruschi for the frescoes and dell'Angeletti for the stuccos . The work was completed in 1896. Cagliari Cagliari ( / k æ l ˈ j ɑːr i / , also UK : / ˌ k æ l i ˈ ɑːr i , ˈ k æ l j ə r i / , US : / ˈ k ɑː l j ə r i / ; Italian: [ˈkaʎʎari] ; Sardinian : Casteddu [kasˈteɖːu] ; Latin : Caralis )

2880-466: The same time show that Italy was a major power with many large cities. After the war these small municipalities gradually regained their autonomy, except for the former town of Pirri . Iglesiente Languages spoken include Italian and Sardinian ( Campidanesu ). Historically, it was inhabited since pre- Nuragic times. Later, it became an important metallurgic district for the Romans , who had here

2940-446: The scarcity of archeological and historical informations, it was believed that the population was moved to more inland areas of the territory, along the lagoon, in a city called Santa Ilia or Santa Igia (modern San Gilla) and it was believed that the ancient Roman and Byzantine city had been abandoned because it was too exposed to attacks by Moorish pirates coming from north Africa and Spain. Recent studies have instead hypothesized that

3000-598: The sea left calcareous sediments that formed a series of hills that mark the territory of Cagliari. Castello is where the fortified town arose in the Middle Age near the harbour of the port, other hills are those of Mount Urpinu, the St. Elias hill, also known as the Sella del Diavolo ("Saddle of the Devil") for its shape, Tuvumannu and Tuvixeddu, the site of the ancient Punic and Roman necropolis,

3060-399: The second century BC; to this process is perhaps attributable the plural name Carales . Florus calls it the urbs urbium or capital of Sardinia. He represents it as taken and severely punished by Gracchus , but this statement is wholly at variance with Livy's account of the wars of Gracchus, in Sardinia, according to which the cities were faithful to Rome, and the revolt was confined to

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3120-417: The ship drifts nearer, nearer, and we are looking for the actual harbour. The city of Cagliari is situated in the south of Sardinia, overlooking the centre of the eponymous gulf, also called Golfo degli Angeli ("Bay of Angels") after an ancient legend. The city is spread over and around the hill of the historic district of Castello and nine other limestone hills of the middle-to-late Miocene, unique heights of

3180-456: The small Bonaria hill, where the basilica stands, and the San Michele hill, with the eponymous castle on top. The modern city occupies the flat spaces between the hills and the sea to the south and southeast, along the Poetto beach, the lagoons and ponds of Santa Gilla and Molentargius, and the remains of more recent marine intrusions, in an articulate landscape with many landmarks and panoramas of

3240-535: The strip between the beach and Saline di Molentargius ("Molentargius's Salt Mine"). Another smaller beach is that of Calamosca near the Sant'Elia district. On the coast between Calamosca and Poetto beaches, among the cliffs of the Sella del Diavolo, lies Cala Fighera, a small bay. Cagliari is close to other seaside locations such as Santa Margherita di Pula, Chia , Geremeas, Solanas , Villasimius and Costa Rei . Cagliari has

3300-683: The whole island. Immediately off it lay the little island of Ficaria, now called the Isola dei Cavoli ("Cabbage Island" in Italian, Isula de is Càvurus "Crab Island" in Sardinian). After the fall of the Western Roman Empire Cagliari fell, together with the rest of Sardinia, into the hands of the Vandals , but appears to have retained its importance throughout the Middle Ages. Subsequently, ruled by

3360-442: Was established around the 8th/7th century BC as one of a string of Phoenician colonies in Sardinia, including Tharros . The etymology of the toponym is unknown. It almost certainly does not come from the Phoenician language, but it has some similarities with other Sardinian or Asia Minor toponyms. Its founding is linked to its position along communication routes with Africa as well as to its excellent port. The Phoenician settlement

3420-441: Was foreign, of which the largest group were Filipinos (17.21%), followed by Ukrainians (10.38%), Romanians (8.42%), Senegalese (8.25%) and Chinese (7.94%). In 1928, during the fascist regime, the neighbouring municipalities of Pirri , Monserrato , Selargius , Quartucciu and Elmas , were merged with that of Cagliari. Mussolini's regime wanted to streamline the local administration by eliminating many small towns and at

3480-456: Was located in the Stagno di Santa Gilla , west of the present centre of Cagliari. This was also the site of the Roman Portus Scipio , and when Arab pirates raided the area in the 8th century it became the refuge for people fleeing from the city. Other Phoenician settlements have been found at Cape Sant'Elia. In the late 6th century BC Carthage took control of part of Sardinia, and Cagliari grew substantially under its domination, as testified by

3540-465: Was mostly home to peasants. In the second decade of the 14th century the Crown of Aragon conquered Sardinia after a series of battles against the Pisans . During the siege of Castel di Castro (1324-1326), the Aragonese, led by Alfonso IV of Aragon , built a stronghold on a more southern hill, that of Bonaria. When the fortified city was finally conquered by the Aragonese army, Castel di Castro ( Castel de Càller or simply Càller in Catalan ) became

3600-432: Was taken after a short siege. Cagliari continued to be regarded as the capital of the island under the Roman Empire , and though it did not become a colony , obtained the status of municipium . Remains of Roman public buildings were found to the west of Marina in Piazza del Carmine. There was an area of ordinary housing near the modern Via Roma, and richer houses on the slopes of the Marina distinct. The amphitheatre

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