Decimomannu ( or Déximu Mannu ) is a comune in the Metropolitan City of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. It is located about 17 km northwest of central Cagliari and had a population of about 8,115.

Geography

Decimomannu borders the municipalities of Assemini, Decimoputzu, San Sperate, Siliqua, Uta, Villasor, and Villaspeciosa. It is served by a railway station connecting it to Iglesias, Golfo Aranci, and Cagliari.

Climate

The climate is hot-summer Mediterranean (Köppen: Csa), similar to the rest of the south-central coast of Italy.

History

Decimomannu's origins date back at least to Roman times, as attested by its Latin name, meaning "the biggest town located ten miles from Cagliari". Its earlier history was revealed when a necropolis from Phoenician-Punic times was found in 1879–80. It was the location of the battle of Decimomannu during the revolt of Hampsicora. After belonging to the Byzantine Empire, in the Middle Ages it became part of the Giudicato of Cagliari. Several giudici (from Latin iudice, literally "judge") established their residences in Decimomannu. After the fall of the Giudicato of Cagliari, Decimomannu belonged to the Della Gherardesca family from Pisa. The Battle of Lucocisterna, fought between the Pisane and the Aragonese, took place here in 1324, and after it the town belonged to the latter (with the exception of a short period under the Giudicato of Arborea in 1353-1355). Decimomannu was part of the Kingdom of Sardinia in the Spanish Empire until 1708, when, together with the whole Sardinia, came under Piedmontese rule in 1720. On December 18, 2020, it was announced the institution of the International Flight Training School within the local military airport. It is a long-term collaboration between the Italian Air Force and Finmeccanica to train military pilots on modern flight simulators.

Main sights