The first building that arose in the ancient Contrada della Costa was the ancient Church with an adjoining Convent, later Hospital of St. Anthony (14th-15th cent.) The convent complex of St. Anthony, belonged to the Order of the Knights of St. Anthony of Vienne, we have news of its transformation into the first hospital structure in Cagliari as early as the 15th century.
At the conclusion of the Tridentine Council we owe the incentive to the foundation of Orders and Confraternities intended for the care of the sick: in this perspective we must read the existence of the Order of the Knights of St. John of God, known as Fatebenefratelli.
The Portico of St. Anthony was in fact, until about 1850, a private internal pathway, connecting first the Church and the Convent and then the Church and the Hospital, made public following the transfer of the sick to the New Hospital, now St. John of God, built according to the design of Architect Gaetano Cima.
The premises of the former Convent, then Hospital, were used as a school building: first the P. Martini Technical Institute, then the G. Spano Middle School and finally the D.A. Azuni Institute, until 1992.
After a period of neglect, between 2005 and 2009 the ancient structure was restored and transformed to house the first hostel in the city of Cagliari, Hostel Marina.
