Villanova is the most recent of the historic neighborhoods in the current center of Cagliari whose origin dates back to the 13th century. The oldest form of the neighborhood is similar to that of a half spindle that starting from the present Piazza Costituzione lies on the eastern flank of the hill of Castello. Via Garibaldi and the long Via San Giovanni are its main arteries, interspersed with steep alleys and steps. Traces of its rural history can still be found in the neighborhood: urban spaces once occupied by vegetable gardens, orchards and pastures, traces of which remain in gardens now integrated into the built-up area.
Today Villanova is a neighborhood in which residents experience a sociality made up of sharing spaces, caring for its long history and maintaining its livability. The associative life, promoted by the Villanova Laboratory, works to improve the quality of life by helping to build, sustain and realize a social life based on respect and protection of the environment; sustainable mobility; knowledge and appreciation of Villanova’s historical and cultural heritage; civic recovery of public spaces, respecting the historic urban and social fabric of the neighborhood; and the creation of an inclusive, accessible, child-friendly urban space, with a view to ecological transition. The neighborhood narrative unfolds through this itinerary:
o St. James Square: introduction to the neighborhood and the rites of Cagliari’s Holy Week
o Pigeon Street: historical nods to Villanova’s architecture.
o Flowering balconies, greenery, beauty and neighborhood care
o The Artisans: St. John’s street, historic stores and new businesses
o The Cesello Church on St. John’s Street
o St. Dominic’s Square: the Gothic lot and traces of World War II bombing.
o Orrù Square: Daziaria Column and the cross-shaped topography of the city
o St. James Street: Space Mesu the transformation of the neighborhood, gentrification
