Even the Savoyards, court in tow, have trod the long elevated boulevard, protected from the sun and apt to offer more and more panoramic views on the sea and on downtown. They were the ones, after all, who idealized the realization of the scenic walk of Buoncammino, combining the refreshment of a flat walk with the fresh air offered by the location, atop Castello. Even today, the sun's rays filtering through the pines are a blessing during the winter walks. The water fountains and the soft drinks offered by the kiosks make it an oasis in the summer heat. The nearby Belvedere terrace (accessible from the junction near the gas station) will leave you breathless. The memory, however, recalls only echo of the tarnished greetings and recalls between the guests confined inside the bars of the forced prison, Carlo Alberto. After the transfer of prisoners to other facilities, the prison, overlooking the promenade, is now open to visitors during cultural events such as the Giornate di Primavera del FAI (FAI Spring Days) and Monumenti Aperti (Open Monuments).
Travellers entering or leaving the city, forced to pass through the door of the Torre di San Pancrazio (St. Pancras’ tower) to go to or to get from the interior of the island, believed to be a good auspice to linger in prayer at the nearby Chiesa San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence Church), still present today along the scenic Buoncammino, in order to thank for the journey just completed or to ask protection for what they were about to face.
What does characterize the Viale Buoncammino (boulevard)?
Picture of Buoncammino boulevard, Cagliari. The boulevard presents lines of elms, pines and cypresses, starting from Piazza d’Armi (Parade ground square), to Porta Cristina.
The scenic walk Buoncammino allows you to enjoy a breathtaking view over the city, stretching to the east over the historical quarter of Villanova, the Poetto beach, the Natural Park of Molentargius, the salt pans of Cagliari to the mountains of Sette Fratelli (Seven Brothers), and to the west over the massifs, Monte Arcosu, Monte Arci and Linas, the lagoon of Santa Gilla and the Roman amphitheater of Cagliari nearby.
The boulevard presents at its extreme north Piazza d’Armi, rich in history, its natural and artificial cavities were used during the WWII as an air raid shelters from the population of Cagliari, and at its extreme south Porta Cristina, near the Citadel Museum and the Tower of San Pancrazio.
The underground of Piazza d'Armi develops in two suggestive cavities, the grotto of La Frana and the so-called grotto of Su Stiddiu (the drop). These two artificial underground environments with their imposing dimension were probably connected by a series of tunnels before the construction of the streets around Piazza d’Armi, just after the WWII.
The grotto of "Su Stiddiu", which develops largely below the road level of Viale Buoncammino (boulevard), is made of limestone walls. It owes its name to the phenomenon of dripping that, in addition to shaping the cavity walls, has created in the decades a real subterranean lake, forcing explorers to use dinghies to get in the darkest depths and causing stunning light effects thanks to their torches and lanterns.
The grotto called "La Frana", accessible through a small metal door of Viale San Vincenzo (boulevard), is a huge underground dome, which takes its name from the largest concentration of rock and mold material accumulated at its entrance just after a steep ladder.
The grotto was built principally as a limestone quarry but over the centuries it has held various functions, from air-raid shelter during the bombing, to hiding place for the production and the storage of the contraband liquor. It is partially submerged but it is still visitable accompanied by a guide that brings visitors to discover the hidden history of Cagliari.
