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This park can be found in the Urpinu district of Cagliari, at some 321 ft above sea level.

For centuries, this area was wild and used to be inhabited only by a large number of foxes (“Urpinu” means “fox” in the local dialect) but in the XIX century its owners (the Sanjust family from Teulada) decided to plant several Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis).

During Mussolini’s dictatorship, this hill became a property of the Municipality of Cagliari and was thus acknowledged as the first public park in the city.

Today, this green area covers some 87 acres and it’s the very green lung of Cagliari. Visitors can enjoy leisure strolls along leafy avenues crossing the entire park and eventually leading to a belvedere, namely a natural terrace offering an unsurpassed view of the city.

The plant species range from exotic and to indigenous ones, luxuriantly growing despite the rocky calcareous soil and the semi-arid and warm climate; there are Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis), olive trees (Phillyrea angustifolia), carob trees (Ceratonia siliqua), holm oaks (Quercus ilex), mastic trees (Pistacia lentiscus), tree spurge (Euphorbia dendroides), Mediterranean saltbush (Atriplex halimus), Italian buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus), green olive trees (Phyllirea spp.), European nettle trees (Celtis australis) and Canary Island pines (Pinus australis canariensis).

Shrub species include oleanders (Nerium oleander), juniper (Juniperus communis), viburnum (Viburnum spp.), and even perennial bulbous plants such as narcissus (Narcissus spp.).

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)