Ghetto degli Ebrei

Cagliari

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Cagliari's medieval Ghetto degli Ebrei was situated in the cramped area between Via Santa Croce and Via Stretta. The city's Jewry lived here until they were expelled from Sardinia by the island's Spanish rulers in 1492. Today virtually nothing remains of the Ghetto except its name, applied to a restored former barracks, the Centro Comunale d’Arte e Cultura Il Ghetto, which hosts temporary exhibitions.

In the wake of the Jewish expulsion, the Basilica di Santa Croce was built over the ghetto’s former synagogue.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • People on steps in front of Cattedrale di Santa Maria at dusk.

    Cattedrale di Santa Maria

    0.14 MILES

    Cagliari’s graceful 13th-century cathedral stands proudly on Piazza Palazzo. Except for the square-based bell tower, little remains of the original Gothic…

  • Museo Archeologico Nazionale

    Museo Archeologico Nazionale

    0.2 MILES

    Of the four museums at the Cittadella dei Musei, this is the undoubted star. Sardinia’s premier archaeological museum showcases artefacts spanning…

  • View of Monte dei Sette Fratelli

    Monte dei Sette Fratelli

    18.14 MILES

    Clad in thick forest, the mountain massif known as the Monte dei Sette Fratelli dominates the remote Sarrabus area. Its granite peaks and woodlands…

  • Water shallows at Poetto Beach.

    Poetto Beach

    2.91 MILES

    An easy bus ride from the centre, Cagliari's fabulous Poetto beach extends for 7km beyond the green Promontorio di Sant'Elia, nicknamed the Sella del…

  • Il Castello

    Il Castello

    0.1 MILES

    This hilltop citadel is Cagliari’s most iconic image, its domes, towers and palazzi, once home to the city’s aristocracy, rising above the sturdy ramparts…

  • Bastione di Saint Remy

    Bastione di Saint Remy

    0.28 MILES

    This vast neoclassical structure, comprising a gallery space, monumental stairway and panoramic terrace, was built into the city's medieval walls between…

  • Capo Carbonara

    Capo Carbonara

    23.5 MILES

    If you embark on just one excursion from Villasimius, make it the 15-minute drive south to Capo Carbonara, a protected marine park. The promontory dips…

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Nearby Cagliari attractions

1. Basilica di Santa Croce

0.02 MILES

Originally a synagogue in the city’s Ghetto, this basilica was built in the wake of the Jewish expulsion from Sardinia in 1492. It was subsequently…

3. Il Castello

0.1 MILES

This hilltop citadel is Cagliari’s most iconic image, its domes, towers and palazzi, once home to the city’s aristocracy, rising above the sturdy ramparts…

4. Chiesa di Sant’Efisio

0.11 MILES

Despite its unassuming facade, the Chiesa di Sant’Efisio is of considerable local importance – not for any artistic or architectural reasons but rather…

5. Palazzo Viceregio

0.13 MILES

Just steps from the cathedral, this pale lime palazzo was once home to the city's Spanish and Savoy viceroys. Today it serves as the provincial assembly…

6. Cripta di Santa Restituta

0.13 MILES

This crypt has been in use since pre-Christian times. It’s a huge, eerie, natural cavern where the echo of leaking water drip-drips. Originally a place of…

7. Palazzo di Città

0.13 MILES

Cagliari's town hall from medieval times to the 19th century, the beautifully restored Palazzo di Città has been converted into a small museum. It…

8. Cattedrale di Santa Maria

0.14 MILES

Cagliari’s graceful 13th-century cathedral stands proudly on Piazza Palazzo. Except for the square-based bell tower, little remains of the original Gothic…