Abstract
In this paper, we report on the first project on the promotion of urban geoheritage in Cagliari, the capital of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (Italy). We briefly address the history of geo-palaeontological research in the city area and outline the main phases of development in the history of Cagliari’s geo-palaeontological museum. Geotourism is an efficient method of bringing geosciences to a wider audience. For this project, we compiled a geoitinerary of the main lithotypes and fossils present within the urban territory. Miocene lithotypes are the most important materials in the edification of the Cagliari’s old town, and in the past, the quarrying activity favoured the geology knowledge of the area. The presence of abandoned quarries and natural outcrops in parks, public gardens, on the nearby coastline, and also of fossils exposed in ashlars of historic buildings, made Cagliari an excellent example to valorise the geo-palaeontological heritage using geotourism. This project showcases the importance of knowledge transfer and non-technical communication methods by converting highly technical aspects into accessible and engaging information dissemination to a wide range of audience types, including non-specialised ones.
Highlights
Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, an autonomous region of Italy
Geotourism is a type of tourism aiming at the promotion and safeguarding of natural heritage, with geology, palaeontology and geomorphology as its main elements, in association with knowledge of a given environment as a whole, including biosphere and environmental education, as well as aspects related to the socio-economic development of
Geotourism is thriving in Italy, and numerous initiatives linked to geotourism are present or in development (Santangelo et al 2015; Giordano et al 2016; Magliulo et al 2020; Todaro 2019; Venturini and Mariotto 2020; Liso et al 2020)
Summary
Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, an autonomous region of Italy. Its metropolitan city (including Cagliari and 16 other nearby municipalities) has about 430,000 inhabitants representing the most densely populated centre of the region. The city is located along the southern coast of Sardinia, in the centre of the Golfo degli Angeli (Fig. 1). The territory of Cagliari has been populated since the Neolithic period, but the greatest development occurred only during the Phoenician-Punic-Roman period. It was during this period, and in subsequent centuries, that outcrops of Miocene sedimentary succession were exploited for the. Geotourism is a type of tourism aiming at the promotion and safeguarding of natural heritage, with geology, palaeontology and geomorphology as its main elements, in association with knowledge of a given environment as a whole, including biosphere and environmental education, as well as aspects related to the socio-economic development of
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