Cagliari’s Lazzaretto is a monumental building that is built on two floors around a quadrangular cloister. Located in the Sant’Elia district, it stands at the foot of a hill and overlooks the sea.
From the documents kept at the State Archives of Cagliari, we learn that the first nucleus of the building dates back to the 1600s, as attested by the marble coat of arms placed above the entrance, representing the city of Cagliari between the stakes of Aragon.
Place designated for the shelter of the quarantined, its original structure was expanded because of the spread of epidemics. In 1720, Victor Amadeus II transformed it into a true hospital for contagious diseases. The present structure, although duly restored, dates back to the last extensions in 1835.
In the late 1800s the rise of a new sanitary consciousness determined the elimination of the practice of quarantine and the closure of the lazarettos. After World War II, the building was occupied by evacuees from the Bonaria caves and numerous families, which gave rise to the first nucleus of the Sant’Elia neighborhood. In the 1950s the Lazaretto was abandoned. The structure was officially reopened only in October 2000, after restoration by architect Andrea de Eccher. To date, the Lazaretto is a multipurpose cultural center, hosting various temporary exhibitions, conferences and performances.
