The Giardino sotto le mura has been at the centre of a redevelopment project including the work done in the 1930s by the architect Ubaldo Badas. This project also includes sculptures by the artist Pinuccio Sciola (1942-2016), opened in 2014.
The sculptor intervened on some pre-existing basins which were re-elaborated and dedicated to the city of Cagliari and its historical memory. The first basin depicts it as a submerged city, a reference to the destroyed capital, Santa Igia located in the Basin of Santa Gilla. Next to this, is the representation of modern-day Cagliari as a city of the future. Finally, the last basin depicts small pyramids which bring to mind the mounds of salt found on the outskirts of the city, a memory impressed in the mind of the sculptor and a throwback to the economy at that time and the city’s relationship with the sea.
A small stele welcomes visitors in front of the main entrance, while the Semi di Pietra and the Pietre Legate are arranged on the lawn. The latter are a warning, as though man’s greed has wanted to harness and imprison even the stones. The last sculpture is produced in basalt, with typical cuts and textures representative of the artist; positioned under the scene created by Ubaldo Badas, it dominates the whole garden.
