The Botanical Gardens in Cagliari were founded in 1865 as an acclimation garden for tropical plants with over 500 species from all over the world.
In the center of the garden is an archaeological area with a large number of Roman remains. We entered an opening in the rocky surface and walked through a long tunnel;
At the end of the tunnel was a huge dome-shaped cistern. In ancient times, the opening at the top allowed water to collect in the cistern. Today, the opening at the top has been blocked and the cistern is empty but the rocky walls make for some great acoustics! The video below is of Larry singing a Gregorian chant, “In Paradisum”.
Just uphill (everything is uphill here!) are the ruins of the late 2nd-century AD Roman Amphitheatre. The label explains that “the Amphitheatre could accommodate about 10,000 people, who would watch fights between men and wild animals called venationes, executions and gladiator combats called munera.”
Our next stop was to be the Archeological Museum but after reaching it at the top of a long hill, alas…it’s closed today for repairs. Instead, we had a conversation with a nice couple from Naples who encouraged us to visit their city.
We made our way downhill to a traditional seafood trattoria Lillcu, a restaurant that has been in business for 75 years. The waiters are friendly and the dining room, with eclectic art on the walls and a buzzy atmosphere was an experience! Just what we were looking for.
The afternoon has been filled with leisure time (a.k.a. napping).
We have one more full day to explore more of Cagliari! It’s a great city!