ROCK OF AGES

Cagliari, Sardinia's singular capital, is synonymous with preservation: Historical relics layer the city, ancient customs define modern life, and the many centenarians share their wisdom with the next generation

- By Catherine Fairweather

The tables at Gli Uffici, on the medieval ramparts of the Castello district in Sardinia's capital, Cagliari, fill up fast. Lunch is sacrosanct here, with churches, schools, and offices closing in its honor. Locals and visitors come to this beloved restaurant for the sweeping views of the ancient citadel, the port, and the sea, and to feast on the nostalgic favorite porceddu—suckling pig slow-cooked with dandelion and rock salt extracted from Santa Gilla, the lagoon with salt pans that attracts the city's famous pink flamingos. The white crystalline pyramids graze the horizon.

Reaching for the red wine, I knock over the table salt, which has my Cagliaritana lunch companion, photographer Francesca Ardau, urging me to “appease the devil—throw a pinch over your left shoulder.” It's a superstition, she tells me, dating back to the Roman conquest, when the island was exploited for its mineral wealth and salt was considered too precious to spill.

I relish lingering over lunch in Cagliari. Back in my student days in Italy, taking the time to sit down and eat, then honor the siesta hour, was a nonnegotiable daily ritual. In many parts of southern Europe, globalization has brought an end to these languid rhythms, but not here. Cagliari stays true to a go-slow ethos revolving around community and culture, with a glass or two of Cannonau, the island’s famous Grenache-like wine, for good measure. The mountainous landscape does its part to keep the population fit, helping Sardinia earn a spot as one of the world's Blue Zones, areas known for their exceptionally high concentration of centenarians. Though Cagliari has all the comforts of a modern European city, its central focus is on preservation—of place, of customs, and of people.