We spent 6 hours in this charming south coast city (and capital) of Sardinia, an Italian island in the Mediterranean. Cagliari became part of Italy in 1861 after centuries of rule by Phoenicians, Romans Byzantines, and Aragonese Spaniards. The topography is hilly, and there are several beautiful overlook points high in the city. Our included tour took us to Molentargius Natural Park, where flamingos live, and the "old town" area of Castello. We visited the beautiful Cathedral of Santa Maria del Castello, which has a neo Gothic facade but gorgeous Baroque interior. In addition to the main altar, there are several beautiful side chapels in the main sanctuary and a chapel underneath the altar which is decorated with images of 179 Catholic martyrs.
We walked down the hill from the cathedral to the main shopping area on Via Garibaldi. After buying a Sardinian-made basket, we enjoyed a local Ichnusa beer at the White Stone cafe/bar. Cagliari has a relaxed vibe with friendly people. The only negative we saw was a lot of graffiti on the historic buildings.
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| They have flamingos in Cagliari! |
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| Looking down into the city from a lookout point |
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| interior of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Castello |
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| Sanctuary of Martyrs underneath the cathedral altar |
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| one of the side chapels at the cathedral |
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| ceiling of the Cathedral of Santa Maria |
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| inside a cute market near the cathedral in Cagliari |
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| another beautiful view of the city from high in the hills |
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| narrow streets, so we walked through the old town |
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| Having a local beer in the plaza near Via Garibaldi |
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| The facade of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Castello |
Hi! I have enjoyed perusing your blog as we are future world cruisers!
ReplyDeleteI also thank you because there are not many Viking WC blogs and it is one of the lines we are considering.
It would be great to have a general summary.......things that could be improved, any mishaps, things you loved, more about the food.
Thanks!