Cagliari, Villa Carboni Garden

Villa Carboni garden. Photo by Marta Cincotti, 2025, from Catalogo BBCC.

In the area where Villa Carboni stands today, at the beginning of the 19th century, there was a convent of the Scolopi friars with an adjoining vegetable garden (hortus conclusus), immersed in a landscape of vineyards, almond groves and pastures. In the middle of the century, the complex was purchased by Michele Carboni, who made it the center of his farm and enriched it with rural buildings, stables and warehouses, giving life to the estate dell'Annunziata or “s'Annunziada”. Don Michele Carboni, an important figure in nineteenth-century Sardinian entrepreneurship, combined agricultural activities with numerous industrial initiatives, including bathing establishments, theaters and transport companies. After his death (1907), his son continued the work of transforming the estate: the old agricultural buildings were adapted to social housing and gradually divided up, constituting the first nucleus of the future district of San Michele. The villa and its garden were preserved as a manor house, the house, declared of historical and artistic interest by the MiC, still retains an eclectic architectural layout. The garden of Villa Carboni is located within the historic property of the Carboni family, in continuity with the main building and the agricultural annexes. The green area covers about 4,000 square meters and is bordered by a small Campidanese gate surmounted by the family's stone coat of arms. The plant, organized around the main driveway that leads directly to the entrance of the villa, has a landscaped character and is divided into two main areas: a representative lawn in front of the house and a productive one. The internal paths are characterized by terracotta paved avenues that lead to the main ornamental elements, including the statue of Neptune and a tub with water lilies. There are different types of Mediterranean trees with a predominance of olive trees, which testify to the continuity of the productive tradition with representative functions. Among the architectural and technical emergencies integrated into the garden, stand out the ancient water mill connected to the tank, probably of Roman origin, and some service structures: former stables, guardian's house, tool shed. The whole returns a cozy environment, where the historical stratification is legible both in the vegetation and in the artifacts, creating a valuable context that maintains a harmonious relationship with the villa and with the surrounding neighborhood.

Consult the Catalogue of Cultural Heritage — Villa Carboni Garden Card NCTN 2000253035

Interesting aspects
The complex is evidence of the role played by the Carboni family in the economic and urban development of Cagliari between the 19th and 20th centuries. The compositional layout combines ornamental and functional elements, highlighting the relationship between the residence and outdoor spaces. The distribution of the main avenues generates visual axes that enhance the body of the villa as a scenic fulcrum, while the green areas, arranged in the lower parts, give the complex a unitary character in which aesthetics and productivity coexist.