Located inside the Museum Citadel complex, in the Castello neighbourhood, the Siam Art Museum is home to the largest collection of Siam art (modern-day Thailand) in Europe, and the only collection of oriental art on the island.
The entire collection in the museum is the result of an important bequeathment made by the sailor, architect and adventurer Stefano Cardu. Born in Cagliari in 1849, Cardu developed a passion for sailing and travelling the seas. This passion pushed him to interrupt his studies and embark on a ship heading for south-east Asia.
Following a shipwreck, Cardu was the first Italian to reach Siam, where he settled and began working as an architect and builder. He was responsible for numerous buildings in Bangkok, in particular, Prince Chaturonratsami’s Palace.
He stayed in Siam for about thirty years, amassing a huge collection, including swords, figurines, porcelain, prints and much more. On his return to Europe in 1917, he left his immense collection to the city of Cagliari.
Cardu died in Rome in 1933 almost in poverty, but the city of Cagliari paid homage to him by putting his generous bequeathment on display in a museum named after him.
