History
The ancient Karalis was inhabited during Nuragic age by local tribes. In IX century b.C. Phoenicians colonised Sardinia and settled near Santa Gilla watertight. The town developed thanks to Carthaginians that transformed Cagliari in an important commercial centre. In 238 b.C. after the first Punic war, the town was conquered by Romans. In 48 b.C. under Caesar dominion, Cagliari became the first Municipium of the province. With the spread of Christianity, Cagliari became an episcopal seat in 314. It was occupied by Vandals coming from Africa in V century. Byzantines conquered the town in 534 with the troops led by Justinian in a period in which Cagliari lived serious problems. The isle had been divided in four parts and Cagliari had been reduced to the hamlet of Santa Igia or Santa Gilla. In these centuries it was also invaded several times by Saracens. The town could contrast these invasions only thanks to the support of Pisa and Genoa. Then Pisans came to rule Cagliari (1187). After thirty years, in 1215, Lamberto Visconti, from Pisa, obtained the hill called "di Castello". The town could now become the new capital, but in 1258 Pisans destroyed Santa Gilla. Aragons conquered Cagliari in 1326 after a siege that lasted two years. Spanish didn't destroy the town. They left the castle to Pisa. But Pisa couldn't bear the competition with the new Spanish hamlet, Bonaria that had a prosperous port: they decide to fight again against Spanish armies but they didn't succeed and they had to leave the town. In the meanwhile the town started not to tolerate the Spanish rule: viceroy Camassa was murdered (1666). In 1708 Anglo-Dutch troops defeated the Spanish armies and the populations accepted their arrival. There was a short period in which Austria controlled the town (1712-‘18). Then the town passed to Savoy family (1720). But the population didn't like to be ruled by Piedmonteses. On 28th April 1794 there was a rebellion against the rulers: inhabitants asked to be employed in the administrative and military sectors together with those workers coming from Piedmont. But the rulers didn’t accept their request and so people rebelled. In 1793 a French fleet tried to occupy the isle. But inhabitants resisted and defended their land and their rulers, who were Piedmontese. They thought that Piedmontese rulers would have thanked them for this strong resistance and for their loyalty. Instead the viceroy ordered to arrest two leaders of the patriotic party, the lawyers from Cagliari Vincenzo Cabras and Efisio Pintor. On 28th April 1794 the population rebelled and sent away the viceroy Balbiano and all the Piedmonteses. But they soon came back and violently suppressed any rebellion. During the Second World War Cagliari was violently bombed because of its port and its air-landing. The town was destroyed, and many people died. This is why on 19th May 1950 it received the gold medal for military value.
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Written by Stefania Maffeo
Translation by Linda Liguori |
