Cagliari

Cagliari, city in western Italy, southern Sardinia, capital of Cagliari Province and Sardinia, on the Gulf of Cagliari. It is the principal seaport as well as the leading commercial and industrial city of Sardinia. Surrounded by lagoons, it has a substantial salt-producing industry. Other important industries are winemaking, flour milling, and the manufacture of cement, steel, and chemicals. A Roman amphitheatre and the Cathedral of Santa Cecilia (13th century) are there. Cagliari is also the site of the University of Cagliari (1606) and the National Archaeological Museum.

Cagliari was probably founded by the Phoenicians and was later occupied by the Carthaginians. In 238 bc it was conquered by the Romans and was subsequently held by various peoples, including Vandals, Byzantines, Saracens, Pisans, Spanish, Austrians, and Savoyans. In 1861 Cagliari, along with the rest of Sardinia, became part of the kingdom of Italy. Population 159,312 (2007 estimate).