Sardinia, the second-largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily, has a rich history and some wonderful scenery. It was my temporary home for four days in April – a visit that reinforced my love of all things Italian, especially the food.
I stayed in Cagliari – pronounced Calyari by the locals – a perfect base for exploring the southern half of the island. It was intensively bombed by the Allies during 1943, so much of what’s on show is pretty recent. But don’t let that put you off – there’s plenty to see and do.
Getting from the airport is easy – there’s a direct train. The service is quick and cheap so within no time of landing we were heading into town.
Up into the old town
After dumping our bags we headed off for a walk – to enjoy the sunshine, get our bearings and take in the sights. We started at the Bastione di Saint Remy, a monumental stairway and panoramic terrace, which was built into the Cagliari’s medieval walls between 1899 and 1902. The views back over the city and its port are pretty impressive.
From there we walked back up into the old town, through the ancient Castello district, towards the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Cagliari, the first cultural stop. It’s a small museum but there’s quality throughout, including artefacts related to the Nuragic civilisation. More about them later.
The winding street outside offer plenty of opportunities to stop and eat, often with great views down over the city. No one ever needs to go hungry in Cagliari.
Next stop: Oristano
The next day it was off to the railway station for a train to Oristano, up on the island’s west coast. The journey had some very pleasant views and we quickly arrived at out destination. First stop: the museum at the rear of the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, which featured some wonderful mediaeval music manuscripts along with remnants of the previous church that stood on the site, including its altar stones. Our guide was very friendly and helpful, despite a shortage of a shared language.
Outside, the cathedral’s free-standing bell tower has a lovely tiled roof; a replacement required by a lightening strike back in antiquity. A modern lightning conductor now wisely adorns the structure.
There’s an ‘f’ in fake
The Antiquarium Arborense, founded in 1938, is the most important museum in Oristano. It contains archaeological discoveries dating back to Neolithic, Nuragic, Punic and Roman periods of occupation.
What it also includes are dozens and dozens of fake Sardinian-Phoenician idols, which were sold to Carlo Alberto di Savoia, the king of Sardinia in the first half of the 19th century, by Gaetano, the Director of the Museum of Cagliari Gaetano Cara.
Before I’d learnt about the scam I was looking on and thinking, “I’ve never seen Phoenician idols that look like this!” And I was right – all that time nosing around museums had finally paid off.
Going underground
I’d booked a tour of underground Cagliari before we’d travelled and it turned out to be a real highlight. Our subterranean excursion included the crypts of Santa Restituta and Sant’Efisio, as well as the Salesian School Tunnel, which used to shelter students during WWII bombing raids.
The two best parts of the tour was hearing how local women used to bring their sick babies to the Santa Restituta crypt for its miracle healing powers – unbeknownst to them penicillin was present in the sandy soil where the children were encouraged to play. And the subterranean Roman high street, complete with water cisterns (Cisterns Romani), stone anchor and public toilets, was also fascinating.
The green heart of Cagliari
The Orto Botanico is an oasis of green – a hymn to botanical diversity. Its collection of flora is wonderfully situated on the side of a hill, which creates just the right setting. From the top near the greenhouses you get a fine view across the park. An ideal spot for a sit.
Up behind the gardens is the Anfiteatro Romano di Cagliari, which isn’t worth the price of a ticket. At least 90% of what you see can be viewed from the road – it’s a nice theatre but you can’t get up close so my advice is take a peek over the wall after you’ve been to Orto Botanico.
I would, however, recommend a visit to the Cimitero Monumentale di Bonaria, the city’s monumental cemetery, which was in use between 1829 and 1968. Despite its seemingly grim function it’s actually rather beautiful – a poignant display of faith that is both affecting and uplifting. There’s also no shortage of pomp and grandeur too.
Su Nuraxi di Barumini
On the last day we hired a car and head off to see the archaeological site of Su Nuraxi di Barumini, Sardinia’s best example of the island’s unique Bronze Age defensive complexes, known as Nuraghi.
These dry-stone towers were built between around 1800 BC and 238 BC by people widely known as the Nuragic civilisation. Archaeological evidence shows they were still being used well into the Roman period.
There are thousands of the towers across Sardinia but this example, a Unesco World Heritage Site, really is something special. Our guide was very good at explaining the development of the towers, how they were reinforced, their uses and history. A wonderful step back into history, accompanied by sunshine and blue skies.
Places to eat and drink in Cagliari
Cagliari is brim full of great bars and restaurants. However, if I had to just pick just one it would be Pizzeria Sa Tracca, which makes some of the best pizzas I’ve ever tasted – they really were that good. The staff were really nice and friendly, too. And, importantly, it wasn’t expensive. What’s not to like?
And with that it was back to the airport. A great short break full of fine food and cultural highlights. Once again Italy didn’t disappoint. Eccellente!
