MONSERRATO
Monserrato, whose Sardinian name is ‘Pauli’ (= marsh), is one of the inhabited centres included today in the vast area of the Metropolitan City of Cagliari. The town, however, boasts its own history and traditions.
founded by the Romans, in the Middle Ages it became part of the curatoria of the Giudicato di Calari and in the 15th century was part of the county of San Lorenzo. The Sanjust family, to whom the county was enfeoffed, undertook the reclamation of its marshy lands, creating an important wine-growing centre that would characterise the town’s history for centuries, until the massive urbanisation of the second half of the 20th century. Of its agricultural past, splendid examples of Campidanese villas and ancient manor houses linked to farming activity remain today. Today, Monserrato, perfectly integrated into the urban transport network, is chosen by many tourists as a starting point to visit the city of Cagliari without renouncing its country flavour. And speaking of flavours, don’t miss the excellent locally produced sweets or a stroll through the narrow alleyways of the centre where the large portals of the historic Campidanese houses face each other and where you can take a dip into the past. An interesting visit to the Museum of the Sardinian Railways, which houses historic locomotives from the late 19th and early 20th century.
The museum is located right next to the central station of the metro line that connects Monserrato to the centre of Cagliari, and from where a section of the historic Trenino Verde della Sardegna, the longest tourist railway network in Europe.
