Castello District

The Castello district is bounded by the Medieval citadel and its walls, with the Via Santa Croce on the western side and the Via del Fossario on the east. The Bastione di Saint Remy sits to the south and connects the Castello district to the Marina and Villanova districts below. It is the second-oldest part of Cagliari and was borne out of the aftermath of the Pisan destruction of the former Santa Igia settlement in the thirteenth century. Historically, the Jewish community of Cagliari lived in the Castello district between Via Santa Croce and Via Stretta, south of Vico 3 dei Genovesi. The area in between Via Pietro Martini and Viale Regina Elena is the heart of the oldest part of Cagliari, and includes the Palazzo Regio and Cagliari Cathedral.

Some of the most noteworthy points of interest in the city are located here, such as the aforementioned Bastione, Cagliari Cathedral and Palazzo Regio in addition to the Cittadella dei Musei, the Old Town Hall, the perhaps misleadingly-named `Jewish Ghetto` inside the Bastione di Santa Croce, the Torre dell`Elefante and the Torre di San Pancrazio.

Marina District

Bounded by the waterfront to the south, the Bastione di Saint Remy to the north, the Viale Regina Elena to the east and the Via Sassari to the west, the Marina district is considered the heart of modern Cagliari. The largest north-south artery in the city, Largo Carlo Felice, connects the Via Roma to the south and the Via Santa Margherita to the north. It is the economic center of the city: hotels, restaurants, bars, banks, specialty shops and stores are located along the perimeter.

Sights of particular note in this area include the Cagliari City Hall, the Sardinian Railway Museum, Cagliari train station, the Chiesa di Sant`Eulalia, the Chiesa di San Francesco da Paola, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Stampace District

The Stampace district is located to the west and northwest of the University of Cagliari, the Bastione di Saint Remy, and the Corso Vittore Emanuele II. The modern history of this district begins in the thirteenth century, shortly after the sacking and destruction of Santa Igia by the Pisans, but this area was inhabited as far back as the Nuralgians and the Phoenicians. Therefore it is the oldest part of Cagliari, and is the most historic. There are sights in this district that even predate the thirteenth century, in particular many Roman ruins.

Perhaps the centerpieces of this district include the Roman Amphitheatre of Cagliari and the Villa di Tigellio, both Roman-era archaeological sites. Other sights of interest in this area include the Cagliari Botanical Gardens, the Chiesa di San Michele, the Chiesa di Sant`Efisio, and Chiesa di Sant`Anna.

Villanova District

The Villanova district is located to the north of Viale Armando Diaz and and to the east of the Viale Regina Elena. The two main sights in this district, outlined in the itinerary and points of interest on this map, are the Basilica di San Saturnino, a Paleochristian basilica dating from the third century of the Common Era; and the traveling exhibition hall Exma, located inside Cagliari`s old slaughterhouse. Other points of interest in Villanova include the Chiesa di San Lucifero, the Chiesa di San Domenico, the Chiesa di San Giacomo, and the World War I Casualties Memorial Field.

Eastern Cagliari (Bonaria, San Benedetto and La Palma)

While the four aforementioned districts are described as the historic center of Cagliari, Bonaria and San Benedetto are a couple of the districts in the `modern` area of Cagliari. The neighborhood of Bonaria developed around the Bonaria hill, named for the Catalan `bon ayre`, meaning `good winds`. The Santuario di Nostra Signora di Bonaria, dating from the fourteenth century, was the first major structure still extant in this area. The Cagliari Marina depot is located to the south of the hill. Sights in this area include the Amsicora Stadium, the Palazzetto Dello Sport, and the Piazza Madre Teresa di Calcutta. San Benedetto is one of the most densely-populated areas of Cagliari, owing to the fact that it is largely a residential area. Major roads in this area include the Viale Marconi, the Via Pasquale Paoli, Piazza Ennio Porrino, and the Via Dante Aligheri. The most likely point of interest you will see in this area is the Teatro Lirico, located to the northeast of the Cagliari Music Conservatory and to the south of the Parco della Musica.

Poetto

Poetto is the area just north of Poetto Beach, the largest and most popular beach in Cagliari. The Via Lungo Saline to the west runs north and south, bordering the Parco Naturale Molentargius. The Viale Lungo Mare Poetto is the boardwalk road directly behind the beach, and the Via dei Villini runs between the aforementioned two streets. Hotels and bed and breakfasts are located between the Lungomare and the Lungo Saline, and you will find restaurants and bars closer to the beach. The beach stretches on for over three miles, from the eastern edge of Cagliari to south of Quartu Sant`Elena.

Quartu Sant`Elena

Quartu Sant`Elena (pop. 71,000) is the third-largest city in Sardinia and is part of the Metropolitan City of Cagliari. The name of the city comes from St. Helena, the mother of the emperor Constantine, and `Quartum miles`, the Latin for `four miles`, the distance from Cagliari. The Viale Marconi and the Via Guglielmo Marconi connect Cagliari with Quartu Sant`Elena. The main church, pictured, is the Basilica of Sant`Elena Imperatrice, built in the Neoclassical style. Also of note to tourists is the Sa dom`e farra, a large 17th century peasant house now opened to the public to educate visitors on how the peasant class lived in Sardinia at that time.