A beautiful city, rugged and stony and full of changing colours, Cagliari has a millennial history of the passage of peoples and different dominations. Founded by Phoenicians and conquered by Carthaginians, it was later ruled by the Romans and, later still, was a colonial capital of the Aragonese and the Spanish. The island's capital reflects this abundance and intermingling of peoples, cultures and styles in its extraordinary artistic and architectural heritage.
The city has valuable archaeological sites (the Roman amphitheatre and the Punic necropolis of Tuvixeddu), countless religious buildings (starting with the Basilica of San Saturnino, Sardinia's oldest church, and the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta), impressive military fortifications (the castle of San Michele, on the hill of the same name, with its citadel with medieval towers and white walls).
Moreover, the castle area is also home to the University of Cagliari, established in the 17th century.