Complex, Stunning Sardinia
Geographically closer to Tunis than Rome, this amazing island swims in its own lane
Hello friends! I am just now completing Q1/Italy of my yearlong sabbatical adventure and am now transitioning into Q2/California.
This (sadly) final Italy-focused installment is about my month of May on the amazing, wild and wonderful island of Sardinia, a place that is a part of, and yet apart from, Italy.
“Owing to the variety of Sardinia's ecosystems, which include mountains, woods, plains, stretches of largely uninhabited territory, streams, rocky coasts, and long sandy beaches, Sardinia has been metaphorically described as a micro-continent. In the modern era, many travelers and writers have extolled the beauty of its long-untouched landscapes, which retain vestiges of the Nuragic civilization.” Wikipedia
I can honestly say I can’t wait to go back to Sardinia someday. Sardinia was my wild card — the mysterious place that few people I know have visited. I had heard more than once that its people are “unusual,” “eccentric” and even “unfriendly” and suspicious of outsiders. I am happy to report that none of this is true!
It is true, though, that Sardinia is unlike the rest of Italy. They even speak a different language, Sardinian, as well as at least a couple of other languages in isolated parts of the island. Up north in Santa Teresa di Gallura, for example, I learned that their dialect is much closer to French, and the folks just across the channel in Corsica share an Italian/French/Sardinian dialect that is only heard in that specific region. Most Sardinians also speak Italian, and many speak at least some English.
While my home base was in the capital, Cagliari, I was able to visit most of the island and loved everywhere. The scenery includes stunning beaches, caves, massive mountains with sheer, Yosemite-like rock faces, etc. If you’re an adventurer in extremely good shape, you can take the five-day Selvaggio Blu trek which sounds grueling. I, unsurprisingly, stuck to cars, buses and boats.
Cagliari’s historic center is called the Castello (castle) district, which is where I stayed. The bustling “action” happens down hill in all directions, and while it was nice to have access to the rest of the city during the day, I enjoyed leaving the hustle and bustle in the evenings.
The apartment I rented is a former palazzo, perched over the postcard-perfect Piazza Carlo Alberto, the old City Hall and the Cathedral of Santa Maria, and it provided a wonderful spot to people watch during the many weddings and other celebrations below.
Cagliari offers a wealth of sights and activities. Two big draws for visitors are its fascinating history and the sophisticated, unique cuisine that blends many cultural influences from Italy, Spain, North Africa and France. Birdwatching is also popular here, with hundreds of wild pink flamingos — even in the capital city, where they wade through the “salt pans,” former industrial salt production facilities that have been turned into a wildlife sanctuary.
Beyond Cagliari, the rest of the island is a huge draw for athletes, with a heavy emphasis on watersports, mountain climbing, fishing and hiking.
Honestly, most of the people who live here, and many who visit, are BUFF.
I met a few “Blue Zone” tourists (huh?). Through them I learned that there are a handful of places on earth where life expectancy is highest, and Sardinia tops the Blue Zone list — specifically, several of the smaller villages in the rural, mountainous center of the island. Experts have studied Blue Zones to determine how behavior, exercise, nutrition, and culture play a role in extending longevity. Color me a little bit skeptical about the slick packaging and marketing of the Blue Zone concept, which began as a National Geographic cover story in 2005 and has since been trademarked and sold to Adventist Health in California. But on the other hand, they advocate for daily red wine, and that’s a color recommendation I can get behind.
The history of Sardinia is a tumultuous story of partnerships, piracy, takeovers and standoffs with many other peoples who wanted to annex the wealthy and strategically-placed island, including the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, Moors, Pisans, Aragonese, French, Tunisians, and more. Today, all of these influences have created a fusion of culture that is uniquely its own. Actually a layer cake is a better description than a fusion because each of these cultures literally built atop the previous one.
But before all those folks showed up, the indigenous Nuraghi people developed the Nuragic civilization between the 23rd Century BC until the 2nd Century AD or later. Their name comes from the round stone fortresses they built all over Sardinia called Nuraghe (today there are more than 7,000 nuraghe still sprinkled across the landscape).
The extensive National Museum of Archealogy in Cagliari features a deep collection of artifacts, as well as the Giants of Mont’e Prama, a group of more than 30 statues up to 8 feet tall depicting warriors, archers, wrestlers, and boxers discovered in the 1970’s, and many archeologists have referred to them as the archaeological “find of the century.” I recently discovered that the Metropolitan Museum in New York is thrilled for the current loan of just one of the giants, but here in Cagliari, you can see the full set!
It was great to discover the museum prior to making my island walkabout so that I knew what to look for and how to understand the many strange rock formations that are often the anchor around which most cities have been built.
Rather than telling you about the many gems I discovered while touring around this gorgeous island, I’ll let the photos speak on my behalf.
Cagliari
The Wild West
The Corsica-Kissing North
The Adventurous East
One final note: photos I can’t unsee
On the 80th anniversary of the Allied bombing of Cagliari, I happened upon a photo gallery featuring before/after images related to the devastating attacks culminating with a brutal 72-hour blitz that began on May 13, 1943. In Italy, only Naples sustained more bombing than Cagliari.
As demonstrated so many times throughout history, Sardinia’s strategic location made it a critically important post for military forces. One of the WW2 generals aptly referred to Sardinia as the Aircraft Carrier of Europe, and the Nazis had control of it in 1943. During those three days in May, the US Air Force and Royal Air Force reduced the city almost completely to rubble and killed hundreds of residents (fortunately not more, as many had already fled due to earlier bomb strikes).
90% of the population fled Cagliari in 1943, and 75% of the buildings were either demolished or deemed uninhabitable. Some of the people who couldn’t escape hid in the ancient burial chambers dug into the stone at Tuvixeddo Necropolis. Residents who lived through this nightmare as youngsters are still alive and have recounted their stories of survival on videos.
Viewing the photos and videos, my heart skipped a beat when I saw “my” apartment building in the exhibit, and the rooms where I eat and sleep blown to bits. I had not realized that the modern amenities in my apartment were due to a forced renovation.
And then I realized the small parking area on the Piazza Carlo Alberto is due to the demolition of a bombed house. And all of the pretty parks, playgrounds, and scenic lookouts around my neighborhood exist as phoenixes rising from the ashes of the bombing of WW2.
I reached out to my AirB&B host, who lives in the apartment downstairs, and told him I had seen the exhibit. He was glad that I was interested and provided me with an extensive, fascinating history about his family, who were the original owners of the palazzo and his efforts to preserve and rebuild.
It is incredible to me that in the past 80 years, the 150,000 residents of Cagliari have restored, rebuilt, or reimagined so much of their city with dignity, grace and positivity — Cagliari is the truly the Comeback Kid.
I have now concluded the first quarter of my sabbatical adventure, and I’m so glad you came along with me for the ride.
I fear Q2 might not have quite as fascinating material to share as I will be petsitting in California. But I’ll keep writing and hope to continue providing entertaining nuggets and photos. Thanks for reading and stay tuned!
This is a stretch, but how you describe Sardinia's geographical location... reminded me of this book: “Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio” by Amara Lakhous.
Thank you, Elizabeth! I love traveling along with you and appreciate the beautiful photographs, thoughtful explanations, and humor that you send our way. Keep it up!
Carol