The Cagliari Embankment is a historic promenade created by filling in the ancient guard ditch located at the foot of the east side of the medieval castle. The nineteenth-century intervention on the Embankment resulted in a valuable tree-lined avenue, thanks to the abundance of topsoil where several species of trees were planted especially pines, ficus, palms and falsopepe.
Subsequent urban developments have only partly succeeded in safeguarding the green belt of the Embankment, which has been sacrificed to the demands of modern automobile traffic. The construction of pedestrian pavements has reduced the living space for trees, which are increasingly confined to narrow flower beds and survive only because of their resilience. Over time, the Embankment has lost many specimens; today its condition lends itself well to a critical examination of our relationship with the plant world in urban settings. The Embankment can be a window into the history of the city with a focus on the plant component and its monumental and non-monumental trees.
