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Must-see attractions in Cagliari

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    People on steps in front of Cattedrale di Santa Maria at dusk.

    Cattedrale di Santa Maria

    Cagliari

    Cagliari’s graceful 13th-century cathedral stands proudly on Piazza Palazzo. Except for the square-based bell tower, little remains of the original Gothic…

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    Museo Archeologico Nazionale

    Cagliari

    Of the four museums at the Cittadella dei Musei, this is the undoubted star. Sardinia’s premier archaeological museum showcases artefacts spanning…

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    Water shallows at Poetto Beach.

    Poetto Beach

    Cagliari

    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…

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    Il Castello

    Cagliari

    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…

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    Bastione di Saint Remy

    Cagliari

    This vast neoclassical structure, comprising a gallery space, monumental stairway and panoramic terrace, was built into the city's medieval walls between…

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    Torre dell'Elefante, Pisan Tower.

    Torre dell’Elefante

    Cagliari

    One of only two Pisan towers still standing, the Torre dell’Elefante was built in 1307 as a defence against the threatening Aragonese. Named after the…

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    Cacti in Orto Botanico botanical gardens.

    Orto Botanico

    Cagliari

    Established in 1858, the Orto Botanico is one of Italy’s most famous botanical gardens. Today it extends over 5 hectares and nurtures 2000 species of…

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    Chiesa di Sant’Efisio

    Cagliari

    Despite its unassuming facade, the Chiesa di Sant’Efisio is of considerable local importance – not for any artistic or architectural reasons but rather…

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    Pinacoteca Nazionale

    Cagliari

    Cagliari's principal gallery showcases a prized collection of 15th- to 17th-century art. Many of the best works are retablos (grand altarpieces), painted…

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    Basilica di San Saturnino

    Cagliari

    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…

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    Chiesa di San Michele

    Cagliari

    Although consecrated in 1538, this Jesuit church is best known for its lavish 18th-century decor, considered the finest example of baroque styling in…

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    Galleria Comunale d'Arte

    Cagliari

    Housed in a neoclassical villa in the Giardini Pubblici (Public Gardens) north of the Castello, this terrific gallery focuses on modern and contemporary…

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    Parco Naturale Regionale Molentargius

    Cagliari

    The protected reed-fringed wetlands of the Parco Naturale Regionale Molentargius lie slightly east of Cagliari towards Quartu Sant’Elena. A housing estate…

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    Cripta di Santa Restituta

    Cagliari

    This crypt has been in use since pre-Christian times. It’s a huge, eerie, natural cavern where the echo of leaking water drip-drips. Originally a place of…

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    Anfiteatro Romano

    Cagliari

    Cagliari’s most significant Roman monument is this 2nd-century amphitheatre. Currently resembling a messy construction site (it's closed for restoration),…

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    Ghetto degli Ebrei

    Cagliari

    Cagliari's medieval Ghetto degli Ebrei was situated in the cramped area between Via Santa Croce and Via Stretta. The city's Jewry lived here until they…

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    Museo del Duomo

    Cagliari

    Treasures from the Cattedrale di Santa Maria are displayed at this compact museum just around the corner from the cathedral. One standout is the 15th…

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    Palazzo Civico

    Cagliari

    Overlooking Piazza Matteotti, the neo-Gothic Palazzo Civico, also known as the Municipio, is home to Cagliari’s municipal council as well as the city's…

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    Castello di San Michele

    Cagliari

    Lifted by a hill high above the city, this stout three-tower Spanish fortress northwest of the centre commands incredible city and sea views. Set in…

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    Piazza Yenne

    Cagliari

    The focal point of the Marina district, and indeed of central Cagliari, is Piazza Yenne. The small square is adorned with a statue of King Carlo Felice to…

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    Museo d'Arte Siamese

    Cagliari

    Cagliari’s medieval heart is an unlikely place for a collection of Asian art, but that’s exactly what you'll find here. Donated to the city by local…

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    Villa di Tigellio

    Cagliari

    These remains of three Roman houses date to the 1st century BC. Legend has it that Tigellio Ermogene – a famous Sardinian poet and musician, and a close a…

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    MEM

    Cagliari

    Opened in 2011, this contemporary glass and steel pavilion has given a new lease of life to a former food market. It's now a cultural complex housing two…

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    Palazzo Viceregio

    Cagliari

    Just steps from the cathedral, this pale lime palazzo was once home to the city's Spanish and Savoy viceroys. Today it serves as the provincial assembly…

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    Cittadella dei Musei

    Cagliari

    Cagliari's main museum complex occupies the site of the city's former arsenal at the northern end of the Castello district. It's home to several museums,…

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    Torre di San Pancrazio

    Cagliari

    Rising above the skyline by the Castello's northeastern gate, this 36m-high tower is the twin of the Torre dell’Elefante. Completed in 1305, it is built…

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    Chiesa di Santo Sepolcro

    Cagliari

    The most astonishing feature of this church is an enormous 17th-century gilded wooden altarpiece housing a figure of the Virgin Mary. From the church,…

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    Exmà

    Cagliari

    Housed in Cagliari’s 18th-century mattatoio (abattoir) – hence the sculpted cow's head over the entrance and around the internal courtyard – Exmà is a…

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    Giardino Sotto Le Mure

    Cagliari

    A small strip of park in the shadows of the Castello's mighty walls, this 500m-long green space is home to seven works by leading Sardinian sculptor…

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    Chiesa di San Lucifero

    Cagliari

    Below this baroque church is a 6th-century crypt where the tomb of the early Archbishop of Cagliari, St Lucifer, rests. In earlier times the area had been…

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    Chiesa di Sant’Anna

    Cagliari

    Largely destroyed by bombing in 1943 but painstakingly rebuilt afterwards, Chiesa di Sant’Anna rises grandly above a wide staircase in the Stampace…

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    Palazzo di Città

    Cagliari

    Cagliari's town hall from medieval times to the 19th century, the beautifully restored Palazzo di Città has been converted into a small museum. It…

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    Statue of Carlo Felice

    Cagliari

    Erected in Piazza Yenne in 1860, this melodramatic statue shows Carlo Felice, Sardinia's king from 1821 to his death in 1831, posing as an ancient Roman…

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    Basilica di Santa Croce

    Cagliari

    Originally a synagogue in the city’s Ghetto, this basilica was built in the wake of the Jewish expulsion from Sardinia in 1492. It was subsequently…

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    Boardwalk

    Cagliari

    Cagliari's seafront boardwalk offers breezy views back to the Marina district as it hugs the waterfront from Molo Ichnusa to Su Siccu. It's a relaxed…