Santa Croce Bastion

The Bastion of Santa Croce offers one of the most beautiful panoramic views from the uptown; it is situated in the district of Castello, a few steps from the Tower of the Elephant.

The Bastion of Santa Croce, commonly known as "Santu Juanni" Bastion, is situated in the street of the same name, once included in the Giudaria, the jewish neighbourhood. According to the sources, that neighbourhood developed in Castello starting from the 13th century, but it was in the 15th century, under the Aragonese domination, that it reached its maximum expansion.

In 1492 the catholic sovereigns Ferinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile ordered the expulsion from the whole kingdom of those jews who refused the conversion to Christianity; as a result of that law, applied in Cagliari too, the synagogue in the Giudicaria was turned into a catholic church and dedicated to the Holy Cross, giving birth to the current Basilica.