View from the Santa Croce Terrace

The view from the Santa Croce terrace, in Cagliari

The Santa Croce terrace, laid out on the Pisan ramparts of the Castello district, offers a plunging view of Cagliari. The Cagliari audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this belvedere that overlooks the Stampace district, former suburb of the artisans, and reveals the historic division of the city into four districts, the Castello of the nobles and the clergy, the Marina of the people of the sea, Villanova the agricultural and Stampace the authentic.

History

The walls of the former fortified city, built by the Pisans in the thirteenth century, surround what was then the administrative centre of Cagliari. Today, the ramparts offer fine terraces and unobstructed views of the surroundings. From here, you overlook the Stampace district, whose name would come from a medieval formula close to the expression "Stai in pace", "be in peace". The historic city was divided into four districts with distinct functions: the Castello, where you are, sheltered the nobility and the clergy; the Marina gathered all that touched the sea; Villanova was the agricultural district; and Stampace was clearly that of the artisans, where many workshops still subsist. To go to discover Stampace is to meet the soul of the people of Cagliari, an authentic and unfiltered district, marked by traditions and know-how, that this terrace allows you to embrace with the gaze before venturing into it.

What to see

Here you enjoy, from the Pisan ramparts of the Castello, a plunging view of Cagliari and particularly of Stampace, the former district of the artisans; this belvedere reveals the historic division of the city into four districts, the noble Castello, the maritime Marina, the agricultural Villanova and the authentic Stampace. The Santa Croce terrace tells the soul of Cagliari. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Santa Croce terrace lies on the ramparts of the Castello district, in Cagliari, reachable on foot. It is a belvedere in free access, prized at the beginning of the evening for its night view, that you discover during a walk in the old town.

What districts of Cagliari do you see from the Santa Croce terrace?

Here you overlook above all Stampace, the former district of the artisans whose name evokes the expression "Stai in pace"; the terrace recalls the historic division of Cagliari into four districts: the Castello, that sheltered the nobility and the clergy, the Marina turned towards the sea, Villanova the agricultural district, and Stampace that of the artisans.

Where is the Santa Croce terrace in Cagliari?

On the ramparts of the Castello district, in Cagliari, in Italy.