Palazzo Regio

On Piazza Palazzo in Cagliari’s Castello district, Palazzo Regio has served as a seat of government and royal residence across successive eras. Its rooms preserve the history of the viceroys and the Savoy court, while the council chamber’s late-nineteenth-century frescoes evoke Sardinian history.

Why it matters

Palazzo Regio, also known as Palazzo Viceregio, was made the viceroy’s residence in 1337 by order of Peter IV of Aragon. It later served Aragonese, Spanish and Savoy governments. When the royal court left Turin during the Napoleonic period, Cagliari became its temporary seat, and Princess Maria Cristina was born in the palace.

What to notice

The palace’s rooms reflect its changing public role. The Sala degli Alabardieri contains a gallery of twenty-four viceroy portraits, while the Sala della Bandiera includes portraits of Carlo Felice and Carlo Alberto. The council chamber was decorated by Domenico Bruschi between 1893 and 1896, with stuccoes by Raffaele Angeletti; its frescoes include Eleonora d’Arborea and the Carta de Logu. Other documented features include the honour staircase and the west façade, restored in 1769.

Context and history

The palace developed over earlier structures on the Castello rock. Piedmontese military engineers rebuilt the honour staircase from 1730, and further works followed in 1735. The Savoy family used the palace during its period of exile in Cagliari from 1799 to 1815. In 1885 the building passed to the Province of Cagliari, which commissioned the council-chamber decoration. It continues to accommodate institutional functions, including offices connected with the Prefecture and Metropolitan City.