After Sicily, Sardinia is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Inhabited since the Stone Age, Sardinia today is divided into eight provinces – Cagilari, Nuoro, Oristano, and Sassari are the original provinces, and Carbonia-Iglesias, Medio Campidano, Ogliastra, and Olbia-Tempio were added in 2006. The largest city on the island is Cagilari with 160,000 people, and the island as a whole holds about 1.7 million people.

 

 

History

The Sardinians have always been a unique and independent people (even today they are recognized by the Italian government as being culturally distinct from the rest of Italy), its culture influenced early on by Phoenician colonies, then rule by the Roman Empire, and in the middle ages by the Spanish. Official claim to Sardinia has changed hands many times over the centuries, resulting in the island representing a hodgepodge of Mediterranean cultures and ideas. When Italy was unified in 1861, the Kingdom of Sardinia was absorbed into the Kingdom of Italy. In 1948, Sardinia was declared an autonomous region, and held its first elections in May of 1949.

 

Art and Museums

The oldest part of Cagilari is in the center of the town, and include 13th century era stone walls and a cathedral that was restored in the 1930s. The Sardinian Archaeological Museum in the same district of Cagilari is home to some of Sardinia’s rich archaeological history, with finds that date back to thousands of years before the birth of Christ. In the city of Nuoro, Sardinia, the Museum of Sardinian Life and Traditions contains traditional Sardinian costumes, musical instruments, and photographs of how life was experienced by historical Sardinia’s unique people. In Iglesias, visit the Museum of Mining Art, which helps its visitors experience life in the mines through the materials and exhibits that came from Sardinia’s rich ground.

 

Nightlife

For authentic Island of Sardinia nightlife, visit the bigger cities of Cagilari, Olbia, and Sassari. Some of the port towns, including Porto Cervo, have bars and clubs that cater to Sardinia’s many tourists.
For those preferring art and theater as opposed to bars and clubs, the same cities – Cagilari, Sassari, and also Oristano – have stage performances year-round at big theaters. The most important theater on the island, The Lyric Theatre, is also located in the city of Cagilari.

 

How to get there

The Island of Sardinia has three major airports: one airport in Cagilari in the south of the island, Arbatax on the east coast, and Olbia on the north coast. As flights in and out of the island can be rather pricey, an alternative is to travel to Sardinia by sea. The same cities listed above also have ferry transport to them from Palermo, Naples, Rome, and Genoa. Once on the island, the easiest method of transportation is car, because the entire island is a mere 150 miles long and only 75 miles wide.