There's no longer any trace of the greenery that once graced the flowerbeds in Piazza Azuni in Quartu. The space surrounded by cars, where dozens of elderly people gather every day, is a ghost of its former self.
The cycads, the palmettes that once graced the ornamental ponds, are shriveled and completely yellow, not only because of the intense heat of this scorching summer. It seems they were attacked by some fungus that made them sick, spelling their demise, so much so that some in other streets of the city have even been removed. It's unclear exactly what caused the plants to become ill. Certainly, the main diseases and problems affecting cycads include parasites such as scale insects, manganese and iron deficiencies that stain the leaves, and root rot due to waterlogging.
"It's a real shame to see these dried-up plants," says Giuseppina Atzori. "They'd do better to remove them and perhaps replace them with other plants because they're really ugly to look at."
Meanwhile, every evening, Piazza Azuni continues to be transformed into a garbage dump by groups of kids who leave beer bottles and pizza boxes scattered everywhere.