25. From Genoa to Tunis viâ Leghorn and Cagliari.

620 M. This route forms part of the ‘Linea Circolare della Tunisia e Tripolitania’ (Lines XVIII-XX) of the Società Nazionale, a circular tour which offers interesting glimpses of Sardinia, Malta, and the E. coast of Sicily, as well as of Oriental life at the N. African ports (RR. 64, 27, 24). The steamers usually leave Genoa on Frid. evening, Leghorn on Sat. night, and Cagliari on Mon. evening, and arrive at Tunis on Tues. forenoon. (In the reverse direction they leave Tunis on Mon. at noon and reach Genoa on Thurs. evening.) Fare 111 or 83 fr. (or for the whole round 303 or 212 fr.). As some of the steamers are hardly up to date, inquiry as to the best should be made beforehand. Office at Genoa, see p. [114]; at Leghorn, Piazza Micheli (p. [143]); at Tunis, p. [331].

Genoa, and voyage to (92 M.) Leghorn, comp. pp. [113], 134. We pass Melória, a cliff 4 M. to the W. of Leghorn, off which the Genoese destroyed the fleet of Pisa in 1284.

Leghorn, Ital. Livorno (Marble Palace Hotel; Hôt. d’Angleterre & Campari, Hôt. Giappone, both in Via Vittorio Emanuele, with restaurants, good Italian houses for passing travellers; Brit, cons., M. Carmichael; U. S. cons., E. A. Man; pop. 78,000), a provincial capital, one of the chief seaports of Italy, and a sea-bathing place, is quite a modern town. The harbour consists of the Porto Nuovo, sheltered by a semicircular mole (diga curvilinea) and the new Molo Vegliaia, and the old Porto Mediceo, or inner harbour. (Landing or embarkation 1 fr.; trunk 30 c.).

Near the harbour is the Piazza Micheli, adorned with a curious monument of the grand-duke Ferdinand I. of Tuscany (1587–1609). Straight on runs the Via Vittorio Emanuele, the main street, lined with shops. It leads across the large Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, which is flanked by the Cathedral, the Municipio, and other public buildings, to the Piazza Carlo Alberto, whence the Via Garibaldi and Via Palestro lead to the left to the railway-station.

A pleasant walk (or tramway from the station to Antignano) is offered by the Viale Regina Margherita, about 2 M. in length, the seaside promenade to the S. of the town, in summer enlivened by numerous bathers. Between it and the harbour, and adjoining the Piazza Mazzini, is the Cantiere Orlando, the dockyards where iron-clads and other vessels are built for the Italian navy.

At the S. end of the sea-promenade lie the villa-suburbs of Ardenza and Antignano, which have sea-baths also.

On the fine Voyage from Leghorn to (339 M.) Cagliari we at first obtain a good view of the Tuscan Archipelago, relics of the primæval Tyrrhenis (p. xxxi). These islands are composed mainly of granite, with slate and limestone strata overlying it in places.

Passing at some distance from the barren fisher-island of Gorgona (837 ft.) and from Capraia, the Capraria (goats’ island) of antiquity, we steer to the S.S.W. towards the W. coast of Elba, enjoying in clear weather a fine distant *View of the peninsula of Cape Corse, the N. extremity of Corsica, and of Monte Cinto (8892 ft.), the highest mountain in the interior of that island.

We next skirt the island of Elba, the Æthalia of the Greeks and Ilva of the Romans, the largest island in the archipelago, 19 M. long, famous as the scene of the first exile of Napoleon I. (1814–5). The valuable iron-mines here (comp. pp. [134], 135), worked from very ancient times, are an important factor in the industries of Italy. We pass the rocky N. coast of the island, which is visible as far as the Capo della Vita (p. [135]), and on its W. side we observe the massive granitic Monte Capanne (3343 ft.).

The steamer passes between the hardly less steep S. coast of Elba and the flat island of Pianosa (85 ft.; the ancient Planasia), and steers to the S.S.W. towards the S. coast of Sardinia. On the left, about 26 M. from Elba, appears the bold granitic island of Montecristo (2126 ft.), the ancient Oglasa, the scene of the well-known novel ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’, by Alex. Dumas.

The Straits of Bonifacio (p. [133]) lie far to the W. of the steamer’s course. Off the N.E. coast of Sardinia we first sight the massive rocky island of Tavolara (1821 ft.), the Bucina of the Romans, masking the Bay of Terranova; then, when off Capo Comino, the eastmost point of Sardinia, we see Monte Alvo (3701 ft.), a little inland. The somewhat monotonous S.E. coast of the island is backed by sterile mountains. We pass the little port of Arbatax (Tortolì Marina), the Capo di Bellavista, the Capo Sferra Cavallo, the Monte Ferrau (2878 ft.), the Capo Ferrato, and lastly the islet of Serpentara.

Beyond Capo Carbonara, the S.E. point of Sardinia, and the Isola dei Cavoli (p. [118]), opens the broad Gulf of Cagliari on the flat S. coast of the island. On the hill-side at the head of the gulf, beyond the fortified Cape Sant’Elia, which shuts off the inner Golfo di Quarto, lies the town of Cagliari. Around it are several large coast-lakes, the Stagno di Molentargius, on the E., the Stagno di Cagliari, on the W., and others, which yield quantities of salt. The latter has been separated from the gulf only since the middle ages by a neck of land called the Plaia.

Cágliări.—The Steamer is moored in the Darsena. Landing or embarkation 40, with baggage 60 c.

Hotels. Scala di Ferro, Viale Regina Margherita 5, with good restaurant, R. 2½–3 fr.; Quattro Mori, Largo Carlo Felice, R. from 2 fr., also restaurant.—Café Torino, Via Roma.

Post & Telegraph Office, Via Lodovico Baille 22.—Cab (bargaining advisable) 1, at night ½ fr. per drive; baggage 20 c.

British Consul (also Lloyd’s Agent), R. E. Pernis.

Cagliari, Sardin. Casteddu, the Roman Carales, a very ancient town, having been founded by the Phœnicians, now the seat of a university and of an archbishop, with 48,000 inhab., lies in one of the hottest and driest regions in Italy. At the foot of the Castello or old town (290 ft.) lie the new quarters of Villanova, Marina, and Stampace, adjoined on the W. by the suburb of Sant’Avendrace.

The Via Roma, an avenue skirting the sea, the fashionable corso in the evening, leads from the Palazzo Comunale to the Largo Carlo Felice. On the right are two covered Markets, which are worth seeing in the forenoon. This largo leads to the Piazza Yenne, the business centre of the modern town.

At the N. end of the Largo Carlo Felice rises a statue of Charles Felix I. (1821–31), and in the Piazza Yenne an antique column. Between these passes the main thoroughfare of the town: to the left the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, ending near a group of ancient Roman houses recently excavated, now called Casa di Tigellio; to the right, leading to the upper town, the animated Via Manno (popularly ‘La Costa‘), with numerous shops, where among other things the gold ornaments commonly worn by the country-people should be noticed.

From the Piazza della Costituzione, at the S.E. end of the Via Manno, the *Viale Regina Elena runs to the N., beneath the precipitous E. side of the abrupt Castello. It affords a fine view of the ancient town-wall, of the cathedral, and of the picturesque rear of the castle-buildings; below, on the right, lies Villanova, with its quaint tiled roofs, while beyond it we have a splendid view of Cape Sant’ Elia and across the wide plain of Quarto to the mountains.

From the Giardino Pubblico, at the N. end of the promenade, we mount to the W. to the Passeggiata Buon Cammino (see below).

Adjoining the Via Manno (p. [144]) is the small Piazzetta de’Martiri d’Italia, whence the Via Giuseppe Mazzini ascends in two bends to the *Castello, still fortified in mediæval style. At the top is the new Passeggiata Coperta, one of the finest points in the town. The Via dell’Università leads hence to the left to the University and to the ponderous Torre dell’Elefante, which, according to the inscription, was erected by the Pisans in 1307.

Straight on we pass through the Torre dell’Aquila, an old gateway now enclosed within the Palazzo Boyl, to the Via Lamarmora, the main street in the Castello, which is connected with the parallel streets by steep lanes, dark vaulted passages, and steps.

From the terraced little Piazza del Municipio, with the council-hall of the old town, a flight of steps to the right ascends to the Cathedral (Santa Cecilia), completed by the Pisans in 1312, but since then frequently altered. A new façade, in keeping with the old building, is now under construction.

Farther to the N., in the Piazza dell’ Indipendenza, is the Pisan Torre San Pancrazio (14th cent.), a modern addition to which contains the very notable Museum of Antiquities (if closed apply to the director, Sig. Nissardi). Besides Phœnician and Roman antiquities we may note the cork model of a nuraghe, one of the conical fortresses built by the aboriginal Iberian inhabitants.

Going through the Citadel, which bounds the Castello on the N., we follow the Passeggiata Buon Cammino to the Piazza d’Armi. Just beyond the barracks a road to the left leads to the Roman—

Amphitheatre (greater diameter 97, smaller 80 yds.; arena 55 by 37 yds.), with tiers of seats mostly hewn in the rock.

Below the amphitheatre lie the garden of the Poor House (Ricovero di Mendicità) and the Botanic Garden (Thurs. 4–7), both containing remains of antique Irrigation Works, which are continued on the cliffs to the N.W. of the old town. Close by is the ancient Necropolis of Carales. Nearest the town are the Punic tomb-chambers, sunk perpendicularly in the rock (care should be taken here), and farther to the W. are the mostly horizontal Roman tombs.

From the ruined castle of San Michele, at the top of a hill about 2 M. to the N. of the Piazza d’Armi (p. [145]), we overlook the Stagno di Cagliari (p. [144]) and the Campidano, a fruitful, but fever-stricken plain between the bays of Cagliari and Oristano (p. [129]), where the clay-built villages and the cactus hedges recall N. Africa.