To spot the EXMA, look for a bold red and yellow building topped with a flat roof and decorated with round windows and marble bull heads staring out from the walls-it's impossible to miss, right at the corner where Via San Lucifero meets Via Logudoro.
Okay, time to let your imagination wander! Picture this: it's the mid-1800s, and the smell of the Mediterranean sea drifts up the streets of Villanova, but there’s something else-a hint of livestock and, well, a bit of history in the air! You’re standing outside the EXMA, but once, this place was the city’s old slaughterhouse, built between 1845 and 1852 by the architect Domenico Barabino. For more than a hundred years, the sounds of bustling workers, neighing horses, and the clatter of carts filled this courtyard. Local butchers would hurry in and out, while Cagliari’s citizens-let’s be honest-probably pinched their noses as they passed by.
Now, you might notice those marble bull heads lining the outer walls and gate. They’re not just decorative; they are proud reminders of the building’s “beefy” past. If you look down, you’ll see a pattern of white tiles stretching across the square. That’s not just art-that’s the outline of the giant open-air cistern that once held water for the bustling slaughterhouse. You can still spot old fountains nearby where water once splashed for cleaning and cooling off in the Sardinian sun.
But all good things (and perhaps a few stinky things) must change! In 1964, the old slaughterhouse finally closed, and the EXMA stood quiet for decades. It was almost like the place was just waiting for a new chapter-or maybe it was just enjoying a long nap. Then, in the early 1990s, it got a big makeover led by Libero Cecchini, bringing it back to life as the city’s first true arts center. The grand reopening in 1993 was such a big deal, they had the city’s police riding in on horseback to make sure it was safe. Imagine the neighbors peeking out their windows: “Horses? At the art museum?!”
Today, the EXMA bursts with creative energy all year round-from buzzing art exhibitions and live concerts to film nights and Sardinia’s hottest festivals. And if you love art, don’t miss the Nicola Valle collection inside: it’s a treasure of prints by the greatest Sardinian artists of the 20th century. So whether you’re here for culture or just a fun story, at EXMA, every wall and courtyard whispers a piece of Cagliari’s surprising past.
