Cagliari is located in the southern part of Sardinia.
As a city, it was founded by Phoenician seafarers. For many years, the Carthaginians, the Romans, and the Byzantines took turns in ruling this city. Years later, it was conquered by Pisans, followed by Aragonese before it came under the rulership of Spain for several centuries.
Like many Italian cities, Cagliari wears its history on its sleeve and everywhere you go you come across traces of its rich past: ancient Roman ruins, museums filled with prehistoric artifacts, centuries-old churches and elegant palazzi.
This hilltop citadel is Cagliari’s most iconic image, its domes, towers and palazzi, once home to the city’s aristocracy, rising above the sturdy ramparts built by the Pisans and Aragonese.
The university, cathedral, museums and Pisan palaces are wedged into a jigsaw of narrow high-walled alleys.
Built in the 13th century in the Pisan-Romanesque style, it later underwent transformations in the Gothic, Baroque and Neo-Romanesque style. Under the presbytery, the Crypt-Sanctuary preserves the relics of the local Martyrs.
Overlooking the city is the ancient area of Castello, a fortified medieval hilltop neighborhood situated uphill from the rest of the city. The Bastion of Saint Remy is one of the symbols of the city, from its terrace you can enjoy a beautiful view of the city.
An easy bus ride from the centre, Cagliari's fabulous Poetto beach extends for 7km beyond the green Promontorio di Sant'Elia, nicknamed the Sella del Diavola (Devil's Saddle). Water sports are big and you can hire canoes at the beach clubs.
One of the oldest churches in Sardinia, the Basilica di San Saturnino is a striking example of Paleo-Christian architecture. Based on a Greek-cross pattern, the domed basilica was built over a Roman necropolis in the 5th century, on the site where Saturninus, a much-revered local martyr, was buried.