Pirri’s glassworks on Via Italia allows for a reading of Cagliari’s industrial archaeology that harkens back to the economic progress and business expansion of the early 20th century. This was a wine-making establishment-distillery that was joined in later years by a glassworks, so much so that it is still possible to locate the old glass furnaces made of refractory red brick with interesting vaulted architecture. The building on Viale Italia is courtyard-like, with an attached turret, original earthen and stone walls, while the Rocca turret on Via Ampere, included in the full-height stone masonry buildings, has Art Nouveau friezes and still indicates the name of the first owner, “Stefano Rocca Ancis: production of wines and spirits.” Beginning in the 1960s, the plant was abandoned and left to decay. The Pirri District later used the space for cultural activities, such as the Aspis Theater, painting and sculpture classes, and summer shows. The Municipality of Cagliari has recently provided for the restoration and recovery of the structure, respecting its original architectural features, in order to offer the resident population and tourists a multipurpose center for cultural events and social activities, including it in the larger area connected with the Terramaini Park, without in any way renouncing the historical root of the building, which still has so much significance in the memory of the people of Pirresi and Cagliari.
