Monte Urpinu

Monte Urpinu is a green hill park in Cagliari, between the Molentargius wetlands and the Bonaria area. Aleppo pines, holm oaks and ponds cover much of the hill, whose belvedere opens across the Gulf of Angels and the city.

Why it matters

The hill offers a way to read Cagliari's setting: the Molentargius salt pans, Poetto beach, Sella del Diavolo and the historic quarters of Castello, Villanova and Marina are visible from its slopes. Its parkland is also part of the city's urban ecology, with ponds and wildlife including peacocks, waterbirds and turtles.

What to notice

The Aleppo pines reflect planting begun under the Sanjust family in the nineteenth century. Around them grow holm oaks, willows, oleanders, junipers, mastic and olive trees. The ponds support waterbirds and turtles, while the hillside's open views connect the city with the wetlands and coast. A small church on the hill is traditionally called Aragonese and dates to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Context and history

The hill held small military forts in the eighteenth century before passing to the Sanjust family, who began planting pines in the mid-nineteenth century. In 1939 the municipality purchased the estate and designated it an urban park. Part of the slope toward Molentargius remained in military use, including an air force base and underground fuel depots; these structures were dismantled in 2007. The hill also includes the site of a former limestone quarry.