Better than too many words an aphorism written by David Herbert Richards Lawrence [English writer 11.09.1885÷02.03.1930]:
“And suddenly there is Cagliari: a naked town rising steep, steep, golden-looking, piled naked to the sky from the plain at the head of the formless dreary 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”.

A short history:
Cagliari is rooted in the mists of time. The legend tells that it was founded in 15th century BC by Aristaeus, the son of Apollo and the huntress Cirene.
It was dominated by the Carthaginians, who, defeated by the Romans in the First Punic War, surrendered Sardinia to Rome in 238 BC.
The Vandals conquered Sardinia in 456 and in AD 534 returned under the rule of the Eastern Roman Empire (the Byzantine Empire).
In Middle Age it was disputed by the maritime republics of Genova and Pisa.
After many ups and downs, in 1720 it came under the House of Savoy.
During the Second World War, it was heavily bombed by the Allies.
Due to the heavy losses, it was declared Martyred City and decorated by the gold medal of Military Valour.

It hosts many traditional and folk events; among them especially the Sant’Efisio procession (1st May), where you can see the parade of almost all the Sardinian costumes; see santEfisio

For more info:
wiki/Cagliari

Thank to our friend Francesca for the beautiful photographs (for Francesca’s other photos see our section “master photos”)