Cagliariis anItalian municipalityand the capital of the island ofSardinia, anautonomous regionofItaly. Cagliari's Sardinian name ''Casteddu''literally meanscastle.
An ancient city with a long history, Cagliari has seen the rule of several civilisations. Under the buildings of the modern city there is a continuous stratification attesting to human settlement over the course of some five thousand years, from the Neolithicto today. Historical sites include the prehistoricdomus de janas, very damaged by cave activity, a large Carthaginian eranecropolis, a Roman eraamphitheatre, a Byzantine basilica, three Pisan-era towers and a strong system of fortification that made the town the core ofSpanish Habsburgimperial power in the western Mediterranean Sea. Its natural resources have always been its sheltered harbour, the often powerfully fortified hill ofMonti Castru, the modernCasteddu, the saltfrom its lagoons, and, from the hinterland, wheat from theCampidanoplain and silver and other ores from the Iglesiente mines.
Today the city is a regional cultural, educational, political and artistic centre, known for its diverseArt Nouveauarchitecture and several monuments.It is also Sardinia's economic and industrial hub, having one of thebiggest ports in the Mediterranean Sea, aninternational airport, and the 106th highest income level in Italy (among 8,092comuni), comparable to that of several northern Italian cities.
It is also the seat of theUniversity of Cagliari,founded in 1607, and of thePrimate Roman Catholic archdiocese of Sardinia, since the 5th century AD.
