Editing Cagliari (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Cagliari11.jpg|thumb|The so-called Sella del Diavolo (Devil's Saddle)]]
{{blockquote|And suddenly there is Cagliari: a naked town rising steep, steep, golden-looking, piled naked to the sky from the plain at the head of the formless hollow bay. It is strange and rather wonderful, not a bit like Italy. The city piles up lofty and almost miniature, and makes me think of Jerusalem: without trees, without cover, rising rather bare and proud, remote as if back in history, like a town in a monkish, illuminated missal. One wonders how it ever got there. And it seems like Spain—or Malta: not Italy. It is a steep and lonely city, treeless, as in some old illumination. Yet withal rather jewel-like: like a sudden rose-cut amber jewel naked at the depth of the vast indenture. The air is cold, blowing bleak and bitter, the sky is all curd. And that is Cagliari. It has that curious look, as if it could be seen, but not entered. It is like some vision, some memory, something that has passed away. Impossible that one can actually walk in that city: set foot there and eat and laugh there. Ah, no! Yet the ship drifts nearer, nearer, and we are looking for the actual harbour.|[[D. H. Lawrence]], ''[[Sea and Sardinia]]'' (1921)<ref>http://www.online-literature.com/dh_lawrence/sea-and-sardinia/2/ Ch. 2 and 3</ref>}}
The city of Cagliari is situated in the south of Sardinia, overlooking the centre of the eponymous gulf, also called [[Golfo degli Angeli]] ("Bay of Angels") after an ancient legend. The city is spread over and around the hill of the historic district of Castello and nine other limestone hills of the middle-to-late Miocene, unique heights of a little more than {{convert|100|m|ft}} [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]] on the long plains of Campidano. The plain is actually a [[Graben]] formed during the [[Alpine orogeny]] of the [[Cenozoic]], which separated Sardinia from the European continent, roughly where the [[Gulf of Lion]] is now. The Graben filled in the course of [[Tectonics|tectonic]] movements associated with the breakup of the ancient island [[Paleozoic]] skeleton.<ref>{{cite book|title=Atlante della Sardegna|editor1=R. Pracchi |editor2=A. Terrosu Asole |publisher= Editrice la Zattera|location=Cagliari|year=1971}}</ref>

[[File:Castello_San_Michele_(CA).jpg|thumb|San Michele hill with the [[Castle of San Michele|castle]] on the top.]]
The repeated intrusion of the sea left calcareous sediments that formed a series of hills that mark the territory of Cagliari. Castello is where the fortified town arose in the [[Middle Age]] near the harbour of the port, other hills are those of Mount Urpinu, the St. Elias hill, also known as the ''Sella del Diavolo'' ("Saddle of the Devil") for its shape, Tuvumannu and Tuvixeddu, the site of the ancient Punic and Roman necropolis, the small Bonaria hill, where the basilica stands, and the San Michele hill, with the eponymous castle on top. The modern city occupies the flat spaces between the hills and the sea to the south and southeast, along the Poetto beach, the lagoons and ponds of Santa Gilla and Molentargius, and the remains of more recent marine intrusions, in an articulate landscape with many landmarks and panoramas of the bay, the plain, and the mountains that surround it on the east (The Seven Brothers and Serpeddì) and west (the mountains of [[Capoterra]]). On the cold, clear days of winter, the snowy peaks of [[Gennargentu]] can be seen from the highest points of the city.

[[File:Cagliari.jpg|thumb|Fonsarda.]]
The city has four historic neighbourhoods: Castello, Marina, Stampace and Villanova and several modern districts (such as San Benedetto, Monte Urpinu and Genneruxi at the east, Sant'Avendrace at the west, Is Mirrionis/San Michele at north and Bonaria, La Palma and Poetto at the south), grown when part of the ancient walls had been demolished in the middle of the 19th century.

=== Pirri === 
The comune of Cagliari has one [[circoscrizione]], the town of [[Pirri, Sardinia|Pirri]] (about 30.000 inhabitants), former village of the Campidano absorbed in the fast growth after the [[Second World War]].

===Parks and recreation===
[[File:Cagliari Giardini pubblici.jpg|thumb|[[Roman statue]] in the old public gardens.]]

Cagliari is one of the "greenest" Italian cities. Every inhabitant of Cagliari has access to {{convert|87.5|m2|ft2}} of public gardens and parks.<ref>{{cite web |title=Urbes |url=http://www.istat.it/it/files/2013/06/Urbes_2013.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204010425/http://www.istat.it/it/files/2013/06/Urbes_2013.pdf |archive-date=4 February 2015 |website=www.istat.it}}</ref>

Its mild climate allows the growth of numerous subtropical plants, such as ''[[Jacaranda mimosifolia]]'', ''[[Ficus macrophylla]]'', with some huge specimens in Via Roma and in the [[Orto Botanico dell'Università di Cagliari|University Botanic Gardens]], ''[[Erythrina afra]]'' with its stunning red flowers, ''[[Ficus retusa]]'', which provides shade for several of the city's streets, ''[[Araucaria heterophylla]]'', the date palm (''[[Phoenix dactylifera]]''), the Canary Islands palm (''[[Phoenix canariensis]]'') and the Mexican Fan Palm (''[[Washingtonia robusta]]'').

Major city parks include: 
[[File:Parco di Monte Claro (CA).jpg|thumb|Park of Monte Claro.]]

* Monte Urpinu Park, the most wooded, is a low hill covered by a pine (''[[Pinus halepensis|Pinus halepensis Mill.]]'') and evergreen oak (''[[Quercus ilex|Quercus ilex L.]]'') forest with a dense Mediterranean maquis of mastic (''[[Pistacia lentiscus|Pistacia lentiscus L.]]''), juniper (''[[Juniperus phoenicea|Juniperus phoenicea L.]]''), Kermes oak (''[[Quercus coccifera|Quercus coccifera L.]]''), wild olive (''[[Olea europaea|Olea europaea L. ssp. europaea, var. sylvestris]]'') and tree spurge (''[[Euphorbia dendroides|Euphorbia dendroides L.]]''). It extends for about {{convert|25|ha|acre}}.
* Park of San Michele hill (about 25 hectares), with its medieval castle on the top;
* Terramaini Park, about {{convert|13|ha|acre}}, with a little pond which is home to flamingos and other wading birds;
* Monte Claro Provincial Park, about {{convert|22|ha|acre}}, which hosts the provincial library in an old mansion on the top of the hill;
* Ex-vetreria Pirri Park, about {{convert|2.5|ha|acre}};
* Public gardens, the oldest public esplanade of the city, planted in the 19th century, with a wonderful promenade of ''[[Jacaranda mimosifolia|Jacaranda mimosifolia D.Don]]''.

The [[Molentargius - Saline Regional Park]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parcomolentargius.it/ |title=Parco Molentargius - Saline |publisher=Parcomolentargius.it |access-date=3 May 2015}}</ref> is located near the city. Some mountain parks, such as Monte Arcosu or Maidopis, with large forests and wildlife (Sardinian deer, wild boars, etc.) are also nearby.

The city is the starting and ending point of the [[Path of 100 Towers (Sardinia)|Path of 100 Towers]], which consist of a trekking route named after the 105 towers located along the whole Sardinian coast.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carrizzo |first=Rosanna |date=2017-10-16 |title=The 100 towers way, the path to fall in love with Sardinia |url=https://travel.thewom.it/italia/sardegna/cammino-100-torri.html |access-date=2022-12-04 |website=The Wom Travel |language=it}}</ref>

[[File:Poetto spiaggia.jpg|thumb|left|220px|Aerial view of Poetto Beach]]

====Beaches====
{{Main|Poetto}}
The main beach of Cagliari is the Poetto. It stretches for about {{convert|8|km|mi|0}}, from Sella del Diavolo ("Devil's Saddle") up to the coastline of Quartu Sant'Elena. Poetto is also the name of the district located on the western stretch of the strip between the beach and Saline di Molentargius ("Molentargius's Salt Mine").

Another smaller beach is that of Calamosca near the Sant'Elia district. On the coast between Calamosca and Poetto beaches, among the cliffs of the Sella del Diavolo, lies Cala Fighera, a small bay.

Cagliari is close to other seaside locations such as Santa Margherita di Pula, [[Chia (Sardinia)|Chia]], Geremeas, [[Solanas]], [[Villasimius]] and [[Costa Rei]].

===Climate=== 
Cagliari has a  [[cold semi-arid climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''BSk''), with hot, dry summers and mild winters like other historical regions along the coast.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=6561&cityname=Cagliari,+Sardinia,+Italy&units=|title=Cagliari, Italy Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase|access-date=28 May 2019|archive-date=27 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727083942/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=6561&cityname=Cagliari,+Sardinia,+Italy&units=|url-status=dead}}</ref> Its precipitation values also bring it closer to [[Semi-arid climate|semi-arid]] conditions.<ref name="ServizioMeteorologico2" /><ref>{{Citation|last=Wickens|first=Gerald E.|chapter=Arid and Semi-arid Environments of the World|date=1998|pages=5–15|editor-last=Wickens|editor-first=Gerald E.|series=Adaptations of Desert Organisms|publisher=Springer Berlin Heidelberg|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-3-662-03700-3_2|isbn=9783662037003|title=Ecophysiology of Economic Plants in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands}}</ref> The summer extreme values can be slightly over {{convert|40|°C|0|abbr=on}}, sometimes with very high humidity, while in winter, under special and rare conditions, the temperature drops slightly below zero. Heavy snowfalls occur on average every thirty years.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Cagliari |url=https://weatherspark.com/y/62012/Average-Weather-in-Cagliari-Italy-Year-Round |access-date=14 Feb 2024 |website=Weather Spark}}</ref>

The average temperature of the coldest month, January, is about {{convert|10|°C|0|abbr=on}}, and of the warmest month, August, about {{convert|25|°C|0|abbr=on}}. But heat waves can occur, due to African anticyclone, starting in June. From mid-June to mid-September, rain is a rare event, limited to brief afternoon storms. The rainy season starts in September, and the first cold days come in December.<ref name=":0" />

Winds are frequent, especially the [[mistral (wind)|mistral]] and [[sirocco]]; in summer a marine sirocco breeze (called ''s'imbattu'' in [[Sardinian language]]) lowers the temperature and brings some relief from the heat.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Furberg |first1=M. |last2=Steyn |first2=D. G. |last3=Baldi |first3=M. |date=2002-06-30 |title=The climatology of sea breezes on Sardinia |url=https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/joc.780 |journal=International Journal of Climatology |language=en |volume=22 |issue=8 |pages=917–932 |doi=10.1002/joc.780 |bibcode=2002IJCli..22..917F |s2cid=129846554 |issn=0899-8418|url-access=subscription }}</ref>{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}

{{Weather box
|location = Cagliari ([[Cagliari Elmas Airport|Elmas Airport]]), elevation: {{convert|4|m|abbr=on}}, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–-2020
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan high C = 14.7
|Feb high C = 15.0
|Mar high C = 17.5
|Apr high C = 19.9
|May high C = 24.1
|Jun high C = 28.7
|Jul high C = 31.7
|Aug high C = 32.1
|Sep high C = 28.1
|Oct high C = 23.9
|Nov high C = 19.0
|Dec high C = 15.7
|year high C = 
| Jan record high C =21.0
| Feb record high C =23.8
| Mar record high C =26.2
| Apr record high C =29.0
| May record high C =34.6
| Jun record high C =39.0
| Jul record high C =44.6
| Aug record high C =41.8
| Sep record high C =35.9
| Oct record high C =31.8
| Nov record high C =26.4
| Dec record high C =23.4
|Jan mean C = 10.0
|Feb mean C = 10.0
|Mar mean C = 12.4
|Apr mean C = 14.8
|May mean C = 18.7
|Jun mean C = 23.0
|Jul mean C = 25.7
|Aug mean C = 26.2
|Sep mean C = 22.7
|Oct mean C = 18.8
|Nov mean C = 14.5
|Dec mean C = 11.2
|year mean C = 
| Jan record low C  =-4.8
| Feb record low C  =-3.2
| Mar record low C  =-2.2
| Apr record low C  =-0.4
| May record low C  =4.8
| Jun record low C  =8.8
| Jul record low C  =11.8
| Aug record low C  =12.6
| Sep record low C  =9.0
| Oct record low C  =2.6
| Nov record low C  =-2.0
| Dec record low C  =-3.4
|Jan low C = 5.4
|Feb low C = 5.1
|Mar low C = 7.3
|Apr low C = 9.7
|May low C = 13.3
|Jun low C = 17.3
|Jul low C = 19.9
|Aug low C = 20.5
|Sep low C = 17.5
|Oct low C = 13.9
|Nov low C = 10.0
|Dec low C = 6.8
|year low C = 
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 37.1
|Feb precipitation mm = 33.9
|Mar precipitation mm = 32.1
|Apr precipitation mm = 45.6
|May precipitation mm = 26.2
|Jun precipitation mm = 12.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 3.10
|Aug precipitation mm = 11.4
|Sep precipitation mm = 38.5
|Oct precipitation mm = 43.9
|Nov precipitation mm = 74.0
|Dec precipitation mm = 54.9
|Jan precipitation days = 6.5
|Feb precipitation days = 5.8
|Mar precipitation days = 5.7
|Apr precipitation days = 6.4
|May precipitation days = 4.2
|Jun precipitation days = 2.2
|Jul precipitation days = 0.6
|Aug precipitation days = 1.4
|Sep precipitation days = 4.2
|Oct precipitation days = 5.3
|Nov precipitation days = 8.3
|Dec precipitation days = 8.0
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan humidity    =77.7
| Feb humidity    =73.4
| Mar humidity    =71.4
| Apr humidity    =69.8
| May humidity    =67.8
| Jun humidity    =63.5
| Jul humidity    =61.3
| Aug humidity    =62.7
| Sep humidity    =66.7
| Oct humidity    =71.6
| Nov humidity    =76.3
| Dec humidity    =77.9
|Jan sun = 155.0
|Feb sun = 166.0
|Mar sun = 217.6
|Apr sun = 222.6
|May sun = 271.3
|Jun sun = 312.3
|Jul sun = 339.8
|Aug sun = 314.0
|Sep sun = 240.3
|Oct sun = 199.3
|Nov sun = 150.3
|Dec sun = 140.7
|year sun = 
|source 1 = [[NCEI|NCEI.NOAA]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/CagliariElmas_16560.csv |title=World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020: CagliariElmas-16560 |access-date= 28 February 2024 |website=ncei.noaa.gov |publisher=[[NOAA|National Oceanic and Atmosoheric Administration]] |no-pp=y |type=Excel |format=CSV }}</ref>
|source 2 = Meteo Climat,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/listenormale-1981-2010-1-p114.php|title=	moyennes 1981/2010 }}</ref> [[Servizio Meteorologico]]<ref name=ServizioMeteorologico2>{{cite web|url=http://clima.meteoam.it/RicercaDati.php|title= Climatologia - Ricerca Dati|publisher=[[Servizio Meteorologico|Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare]]|access-date=28 May 2019}}</ref> and WeatherBase<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=6561&cityname=Cagliari,+Sardinia,+Italy&units=|title=Cagliari, Italy Travel Weather Averages (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase|access-date=28 May 2019|archive-date=5 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230505101533/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=6561&cityname=Cagliari%2C+Sardinia%2C+Italy&units=|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|date = November 2015}}