The College of St. Joseph and the church of the same name constitute the complex built in the second half of the 17th century by the Scolopian Fathers who arrived in Cagliari at the invitation of the municipal consuls on November 6, 1640. The Order of the Scolopians had been founded in Rome in 1617 by St. Joseph Calasanz, with the aim of providing for the education of youth. This was an extremely innovative scholastic proposal, because it was aimed at the poor and was completely free of charge; consistent with this educational project, the Houses of Hospitality wanted by the Scolopians possessed a recurring characteristic: despite the dominant Baroque taste of that period, the exterior appearance of the Scolopian architecture was simple and measured. In fact, the building has sober forms and essential decorations. The College, formerly the Institute of the Pious Schools, from the end of the nineteenth century had various destinations: it was home to Public and Commercial Offices, the Liceo Ginnasio Siotto Pintor high school, the Royal Prosecutor’s Office, the Registry Office and the Receivership Office, among others. Since the mid-1970s, after a radical restoration it has become one of the headquarters of the Liceo Artistico Statale “Foiso Fois.” Recent restorations have revealed the interesting underground rooms.
These are rooms used as cellars and stables. The following can be seen during the visit: a part of a “cobbled” street, some cisterns, a drinking trough and a manger, probably dating from before the time of the Scolopians. Often the buildings erected by the Fathers, incorporated pre-existing curtain walls allowing them to take advantage of the stability of the ancient wall structures and at the same time reduce construction expenses.
