Alghero
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| Comune di Alghero | |
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 Municipal coat of arms |
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| Country |  Italy |
| Region | Sardinia |
| Province | Sassari (SS) |
| Mayor | Marco Tedde (since June 10, 2002) |
| Elevation | 7 m |
| Area | 224.43 km² |
| Population | |
| - Total (as of December 31, 2004) | 40,257 |
| - Density | 171.12/km² |
| Time zone | CET, UTC+1 |
| Coordinates | |
| Gentilic | Algheresi |
| Dialing code | 079 |
| Postal code | 07041 |
| Frazioni | Sant'Agostino, Il Carmine, La Pivarada, Fertilia, Santa Maria La Palma, Porto Conte |
| Patron | St. Michael |
| - Day | September 29 |
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| Website: www.comune.alghero.ss.it | |
Alghero (L'Alguer in Catalan and S'Alighera in Sardinian), is a town of about 35,000 inhabitants (down from 54,300 inhabitants since early 20th century) in Italy. It lies in the province of Sassari in north-western Sardinia.
A minority of people in Alghero speak an ancient Catalan dialect from when Catalan invaders repopulated the town after expelling the autochthonous Sardinian population in 1372, following several revolts. Catalan was replaced as the official language by Spanish in the seventeenth century, then by Italian. The most recent linguistic research conducted showed that 22.4% of the population speak Algherese Catalan as a first language and around 90% have some understanding of the language.
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[edit] History
The area of today's Alghero was settled since pre-historical times. The so-called Ozieri culture was present here in the 4th millennium BCE while the nuraghe civilization was present from around 1500 BCE for, and traces of Phoenician buildings have been found not far from the city.
Alghero was founded around 1102 by the Genoese Doria family, as a fortified port. The Doria ruled it for centuries, apart a brief period under the Pisano family (1283-1284). In 1353 it was captured by the Aragonese, and could later grow thanks to the arrival of Aragonese and Catalan colonists: in the early 16th century Alghero received the status of King's City (ciutat de l'Alguer) and developed economically.
The Aragonese were followed by Habsburg Spain, whose dominion, ended in 1702, brought some decadence to the city. In 1720 Alghero and Sardinia were handed over to Piedmont. Around 1750 a wide channel was excavated to improve the defensive stand of the peninsula. In 1821 famine led to a revolt of the population, which was bloodily suppressed. At the end of the same century Alghero was de-militarized and, during the Fascist era, part of the surrounding marshes was reclaimed and the suburbs of Fertilia and S.M. La Palma were founded, although the presence of malaria in the countryside could be overcome only in the 1950s. During World War II (1943) Alghero was bombed, its historical center suffering heavy damage.
After the end of the war Alghero became a popular touristical resort.
[edit] Ecclesiastical history
The diocese comprises twenty-two communes in the province of Sassari and four in that of Cagliari, and is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Sassari. In 1106 John, Bishop of Alghero, assisted at the consecration of the Church of the Trinity in Saccargia. After a long period of decadence, the see was renewed and confirmed by Julius II in his Papal Bull of 1503. Pietro Parens, a Genoese, became bishop; he was present at the Lateran Council in 1512, from the first to the seventh session. In the early 20th century it contains 20 parishes, 71 secular priests, 54,300 inhabitants.
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[edit] Main sights
- Palazzo Carcassona
- The Cathedral of St. Mary. Begun in 1570, it was opened in 1593 but finished and consecrated only in 1730. The church original was is in Catalan-Gothic style, as it can be seen in the five chapels of the presbytery, which also include the base of the bell tower. The nave and the two aisles are instead in Late Renaissance style. In the 20th century a Neo-Classicist narthex was added to the façade, changing abruptly its appearance.
- The church of St. Francis (1360, rebuilt in the late 16th century). Original Catalan-Gothic parts can be seen over the high altar, the presbytery chapels and the SS. Sacramento Chapel. The bell tower is from the first half of the 16th century.
- The church of St. Michael
- The Madonna del Santo Rosario
- The Torre del Portal, built at the expenses the Jewish Community of Alghero in 1360, and the Tower dell'Esperò Reial (16th century).
- Palazzo D'Albis (16th century), a typical example of Catalan-Aragonese architecture of the 16th century. In the October 1541 it housed the Emperor Charles V.
Some 100 Nuraghe remains can be seen in the neighbouring areas of Sant'Imbenia (including also a Phoenician necropolis and Roman remains near the airport of Alghero), Palmavera and Anghelu Ruju.
[edit] See also
[edit] Image gallery
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[edit] Sources and external links
| Alghero | Anela | Ardara | Banari | Benetutti | Bessude | Bonnanaro | Bono | Bonorva | Borutta | Bottidda | Bultei | Bulzi | Burgos | Cargeghe | Castelsardo | Cheremule | Chiaramonti | Codrongianos | Cossoine | Erula | Esporlatu | Florinas | Giave | Illorai | Ittireddu | Ittiri | Laerru | Mara | Martis | Monteleone Rocca Doria | Mores | Muros | Nughedu San Nicolò | Nule | Nulvi | Olmedo | Osilo | Ossi | Ozieri | Padria | Pattada | Perfugas | Ploaghe | Porto Torres | Pozzomaggiore | Putifigari | Romana | Santa Maria Coghinas | Sassari | Sedini | Semestene | Sennori | Siligo | Sorso | Stintino | Tergu | Thiesi | Tissi | Torralba | Tula | Uri | Usini | Valledoria | Viddalba | Villanova Monteleone |
