The complex of buildings, erroneously known as the ‘Jewish Ghetto,’ stands on the bastion of Santa Croce. The building was established in 1738 as military barracks named after the Savoy ruler Charles Emmanuel III. The work, designed by Piedmontese military engineers, was to house the ‘Dragoons’ department, and had military functions until the 19th century. In 1863, at its peak, the barracks contained more than three hundred men and forty horses, veterans’ quarters, Carabinieri stables, Engineer’s stores, and the Military Intendancy.
At the end of the 19th century, when military use ceased, the building was given to private individuals and converted into small dwellings, taking the name Quartieri becciu. The misnomer ‘Jewish Ghetto’ derives from the fact that a little further on actually existed the neighborhood where they lived, an area bounded between Via Santa Croce and Via Stretta. The presence of Jews in Cagliari lasted until 1492, when the edict was promulgated by which the royals of Castile and Aragon (Sardinia was then part of that kingdom) expelled the Jews from all their territories.
The Ghetto was recovered through a complex restoration overseen by the City of Cagliari and returned to the city in the 2000 edition of Monumenti Aperti. It has become a multipurpose cultural center that hosts exhibitions, conferences, seminars and concerts.
