Palazzo di Città, Historic palace and museum in the Castello district, Cagliari, Italy.
Palazzo di Città stands on Piazza Palazzo in the Castello district of Cagliari, the city's seat of government from the Middle Ages until the early 20th century. Its two facades, on the piazza and on via Canelles, are divided by pilasters and framed windows; the main portal carries a 16th-century marble slab commemorating Emperor Charles V's visit. Inside, a ground-floor hall has a 16th-century coffered wooden ceiling, and the basement keeps medieval cobblestone paving, rainwater cisterns and two late-Gothic arched openings.
In 1331 the Aragonese authorities granted the city councillors the area of the loggia regale, perhaps built under Pisan rule, so they could erect a palace for their meetings. The present appearance dates from 18th-century renovations in Piedmontese Baroque taste. After the municipality moved to the new Palazzo Civico, the building housed the Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina music conservatory until 1970, then stood abandoned until its reopening on 4 February 2009 under mayor Emilio Floris.
The palace keeps the permanent Manconi Passino Ethnographic Fund and the Ingrao Collection's ceramic and sacred art funds, and serves as the mayor of Cagliari's representative seat. The building's name recalls its role as the city's town hall, held from the Middle Ages until the early 20th century.
The palace stands on Piazza Palazzo in the Castello district, uphill from the lower city; access on foot is along stepped, cobbled lanes. Inside, the ground-floor hall, two upper floors and a basement level are reached by stairs. The basement holds medieval cobblestone paving, rainwater cisterns and two late-Gothic arched openings.
In the basement, besides old rainwater cisterns, visitors can see a medieval cobblestone floor and two openings with late Gothic arches. The ground-floor hall is covered by a 16th-century coffered wooden ceiling.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,844 contributors worldwide.
