I’ve recently been fortunate enough to spend four months in Cagliari, the prospective European Capital of Culture for 2019. I wanted to write about why, over the last quarter of a year, this city offered me not only an array of one-off cultural events, but a sense of the arts and the environment intertwined on an everyday basis. If I’d had a tiring working week, I often felt refreshed by exploring a city of not only beaches, treks and unexpected coves, but also pop-up art and music events, architectural and archeological treasures, evolving street art and a lot more. To keep it simple, I’ll list five of the cultural spaces which stood out for me, to share what I experienced and as an aide–mémoire of just some of my personal highlights.
- The balconies of Villanova
Villanova, founded in the 13th century, is one of the four historical districts of Cagliari, and I was lucky to stay there during my time in the city. My first experience of exploring the area was in January, when I got to see the last moments of the Christmas decorations, consisting of various hanging plants interwoven with ornaments. The creativity was evident along the length of Via San Giovanni, the natural elements complimenting the architecture. This made a nice change from some of the garish lights we have in the UK.
I’d often walk through this district to get to work and the colourful houses always woke me up gradually in the morning. However, I think my highlight was seeing a Suono al Civico performance, part of a series of public music events on the balconies of the district. I enjoyed listening to a wonderful opera performance, which included some West Side Story classics! It felt like a very generous way of sharing music. I’ve uploaded a very short video to Twitter with an excerpt of “Maria” which can be accessed here.
- Exhibition venues
There are a number of places to see exhibitions in Cagliari, both permanent and temporary. It was great to come across unexpected exhibitions in small venues as well as to delve into the more established spaces. I started off exploring the Galeria Communale d’Arte, nestled in public gardens. Outside the museum, I found “I Dormienti” by Mimmo Paladino, figures resting foetus-style in a fountain amidst fragments of pottery. These figures (and more) first appeared in a collaborative event between Paladino and Brian Eno at the Roundhouse in London in 1999 and have travelled to a number of sites.
Inside the gallery you can see works by a variety of Sardinian artists, including the work above by Maria Lai.
As well as seeing shows at other venues such as Palazzo di Città and EXMA, I was inspired by the exhibitions I saw across the city by individual artists and collectives. One of the highlights included seeing what seemed to be retail or office space transformed into a gallery by May Mask, an organisation which puts on events in unexpected places in the city.
- The street walls
Cagliari has some amazing street art which it is impossible to ignore (in a good way). As well as the well-known collection of work by CRISA dotted throughout the city, including whales and fish which you can spot in the centre and beyond, there was constantly changing small and large scale art. I particularly loved this couple embracing, which I spotted on my way to Poetto beach.
During my jaunt to the Molentargius reserve with its famous flamingoes, I found some impressive horses beyond the grass.
Walls across the beach also offered a sort of mural space for images, including on those of the ex “Ospidale Marino,” in disuse since 1988 but which has prompted a lot of discussion and planning regarding its future use.
- Archeological sites
I enjoyed not only the archaeology of Cagliari but also Nora, an ancient Roman/pre-Roman archaeological site, consisting of theatres, a forum, market buildings, baths, residential areas, water distribution systems and more. Of course, the whole island has an incredibly rich history revealed through its archaeology, which is apparently often uncovered during road works! One of the highlights in Cagliari for me was l’Area Archeologica di Sant’Eulalia and the Museo del Tesoro. Its cavernous display of excavations sits alongside a museum of silverware, tapestries, paintings and more from the Parish of Saint Eulalia. One of the aspects of Cagliari I particularly loved was the contrasts between levels, ranging from the summits of Castello to the recesses of subterranean ancient sites. On one weekend I joined a group for a “Wellness Walk” up to an ancient fort overlooking for city, where fellow walkers generously shared their lunch and wine with me.
At l’Area Archeologica di Sant’Eulalia
- Squares
The piazze also accommodate both planned events and more spontaneous encounters. One of the biggest squares in Cagliari, Piazza del Carmine, is a hub for political gatherings, celebrations of national holidays and other cultural events. I enjoyed seeing the crowds arrive for Italy’s day of liberation, which my friend explained celebrated the liberation of Italy from fascism and the end of WWII.
The smaller squares also host cultural events and one of my favourite experiences was listening to guitarists, singers and poetry in Piazza San Domenico on Sardinia Day.
These are just a few of the spaces I loved wandering around during my stay in Cagliari and this list misses out a multitude of others, including the incredible markets, halls, religious buildings and natural parks, simply because it would risk becoming far too long. What was especially memorable for me was seeing so much creativity across lots of different areas, whether on the streets, in the kitchen with fresh local food or in locations a bit more out of the way.
Thanks to my Sardinian friends for showing me around and helping me to feel like less of a conspicuous and naïve tourist throughout my stay!
Gemma Cantlow
Arts Barca 