MYTHS AND MIRACLES

Seven millennia have passed since man first decided to settle here, on the site of this sun-blessed coastal town in southern Sardinia. Plunge into the history and legends of Cagliari and soak up its age-old charm on a private guided tour.

Sitting strategically at the heart of the Mediterranean and the crossroads of civilizations, Cagliari is known to have been inhabited as far back as the Neolithic era. The city boasts a remarkable artistic and cultural legacy reflecting traces of the passage of a succession of invaders, all eager to leave their indelible mark on the city. Everywhere you look, you come across evidence of the city’s rich and riveting past: ancient Roman ruins, medieval towers, Baroque churches, Neoclassical palazzi all merge in an unbroken parade of wonders stretching back thousands of years. Cagliari today is also a hive of activity with its busy trading port, bustling marina filled with restaurants and shops and vibrant piazze where crowds of youngsters gather in the evenings for a ritual aperitivo. Add a backdrop of picture-perfect stretches of coastline and idyllic beaches and the reason for Cagliari’s enduring success is immediately clear.

Your private guide will meet you at your accommodation and lead you on an entertaining city tour, peppered with myths, folk tales and gruesome stories. You begin your day with a visit to Sardinia’s most cherished religious complex: the Sanctuary and Basilica of Our Lady of Bonaria. Here you will pay homage to a much venerated wooden statue, washed up on the city’s shores after a violent tempest. According to legend, on March 25, 1370, a ship from Spain sailing into the port was caught in a sudden storm. Fearing the vessel would sink, the captain ordered the sailors to throw all the cargo into the sea. A large heavy trunk was the last to be hurled into the waters but strangely enough it didn’t sink. As it drifted ashore, the sky cleared. Following the trunk, the crew steered their ship safely into the port of Cagliari. The trunk had reached the beach of Bonaria and everyone rushed there to see what was hidden inside. After several unsuccessful attempts to unlock it, the sailors called on the friars of Mercy who took it to the small hilltop sanctuary where you stand now and eventually managed to disclose its contents: a Madonna holding Baby Jesus in one hand and a candle in the other. Tales of this miraculous statue, still safeguarded inside the 14th century Gothic-Catalan sanctuary, immediately spread across Sardinia, especially among sailors, and sparked the fame and devotion that surround it to this day.

From here, drive to Poetto, the hub of summer life in Cagliari: a white sandy bay trimmed by crystal clear waters and dominated by the majestic rocky promontory of the Devil’s Saddle. In this spot another legend waits to be unravelled. A long, long time ago Lucifer and his army of demons decided to take possession of the Gulf of Cagliari, enraptured by its beauty. God sent his soldiers, led by Archangel Michael, to expel Lucifer. During the battle that raged in the skies above the gulf, Lucifer was thrown from his saddle which worked loose and landed in the waters of the gulf where it turned to stone, thus creating the promontory you see today.

Don’t forget to look out for the pink flamingos, bathing happily along the wetlands of the Molentargius Park, before driving back to Cagliari. As you approach the beautifully preserved historic quarter of Castello and pass beneath the archway of the looming Elephant Tower, listen to your guide explain what macabre sight awaited those who used to enter the city. Indeed, the heads of prisoners beheaded for their crimes once hung from this tower, a warning to the populace from their Spanish rulers.

From here wind your way along the atmospheric alleys of the old town, stopping en route to snap shots of the city’s famous landmarks. Your guide will certainly show you around Piazza Palazzo, for centuries the political and religious heart of Cagliari, overlooked by the Royal Palace and the Cathedral of St. Mary. Not to be missed is also the Bastion of St. Remy, once a fortress and today a panoramic terrace from where you can enjoy sweeping views of the city stretching all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.