Cagliari

Cagliari: history & character

Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, has occupied seven limestone hills above the Gulf of the Angels since the Bronze Age. Founded by the Phoenicians (8th c. BC), it passed through Carthaginian, Roman (Karalis), Byzantine, Pisan (which built the fortified Castello quarter in the 13th c.), Aragonese and Savoyard hands, serving as capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia until Italian unification. The modern city stretches from the limestone bastions of the Castello down to the 8 km urban beach of Poetto, between the pink-flamingo lagoon of Molentargius and the Sant'Elia headland. For the dog traveller, Cagliari combines four rare advantages: a walkable centre that goes mostly pedestrian after 19:00, a seasonal municipal dog beach on Poetto, hilltop park-forests (Monte Urpinu, San Michele) and a reference 24/7 emergency vet hospital. The Mediterranean climate delivers mild winters (13-14°C), making it a year-round destination except in July-August when the sirocco forces an early-morning and late-evening rhythm.