ancient Caralis
City (pop., 2001 prelim.: 158,351), capital of Sardinia , Italy.
Located on the southern coast of the island of Sardinia, Cagliari was founded by the Phoenician s. Held successively by Rome, the Saracens , Pisa , Spain, and Austria, it passed with the rest of Sardinia to the house of Savoy in 1718. Long the military headquarters of the island, Cagliari was bombed heavily in World War II. The rebuilt harbour is Sardinia's principal port.