| Alghero Alghero (Italian) L'Alguer (Catalan) |
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| — Comune — | |||
| Città di Alghero | |||
| View of Alghero from the Lido's beach. | |||
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Alghero
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Italy | ||
| Region | Sardinia | ||
| Province | Sassari (SS) | ||
| Frazioni | Fertilia, Guardia Grande, I Piani, Loretella, Maristella, Sa Segada, Santa Maria La Palma, Tramariglio, Villassunta | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Michele Casula | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 224.43 km2 (86.7 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 7 m (23 ft) | ||
| Population (1 January 2009) | |||
| • Total | 43,831 | ||
| • Density | 195.3/km2 (505.8/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym | Algheresi | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 07041 | ||
| Dialing code | 079 | ||
| Patron saint | St. Michael | ||
| Saint day | 29 September | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
Alghero (Italian pronunciation: [alˈɡɛro]; Catalan: L'Alguer, IPA: [ɫəɫˈɣe], locally: [lalˈɣe]; Sardinian: S'Alighèra; Sassarese: La Liéra), is a town of about 44,000 inhabitants in Italy. It lies in the province of Sassari in northwestern Sardinia, next to the sea.
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The area of today's Alghero has been settled since pre-historic times. The so-called Ozieri culture was present here in the 4th millennium BC while the Nuraghe civilization was present in the area around 1500 BC, as traces of Phoenician buildings have been found not far from the city.
Due to its strategic position in the Mediterranean Sea, Alghero was built around a fortified port, founded around 1102 by the Genoese Doria family. The Doria ruled it for centuries, apart from a brief period under the rule of Pisa (1283–1284). In 1353 it was captured by the Aragonese under Bernardo de Cabrera; in 1372, following several revolts, the indigenous Sardinian population was expelled,[1] and Alghero could later grow thanks to the arrival of Catalan colonists. In the early 16th century Alghero received the status of King's City (ciutat de l'Alguer) and developed economically.
The Catalano-Aragonese were followed by the Spanish Habsburgs, whose dominion, ending in 1702, brought some stylish elegance to the city. In 1720 Alghero and Sardinia were handed over to the Piedmont based House of Savoy. Around 1750 a wide channel was excavated to improve the defensive position 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-militarised and, during the Fascist era, part of the surrounding marshes was reclaimed and the suburbs of Fertilia and S.M. La Palma were founded. During World War II (1943) Alghero was bombed, and its historical centre suffered heavy damage. The presence of malaria in the countryside was finally overcome in the 1950s.
Since then, Alghero has become a popular tourist resort.
Italian is the official language spoken in Alghero. A small proportion of people in Alghero speak a Catalan dialect, introduced when Catalan invaders repopulated the town after capturing the city from the Genoese in 1353 and subsequently expelling the indigenous Sardinian population. Catalan was replaced as the official language by Spanish in the 17th 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. Currently, there has been a revival of the arts in Algherese Catalan, with singers such as Franca Masu performing original compositions in the language.[2]
It is noted, however, that after the rural exodus of the surrounding villages towards the city, much of the population speaks or has some proficiency in Sardinian as well, in addition to Italian and Catalan. Historically, moreover, the spread of Catalan was limited to the city "Intra Moenia" and part of the coast, given that the countryside has always been highly frequented by the Sardinian speaking-community (as evidenced by the place names: Sa Segada, Pala Pirastru, etc.).
The area northwest of Alghero Bay with Porto Conte and the relatives Punta Giglio and Capo Caccia limestone promontory offer several fields of study and activities, from geology to biology studies and researches, to sport and adventures like caving scuba diving and cave-diving, trekking and climbing. There are more than 300 discovered caves upon and under water and semisubmerged. Neptune's Grotto is the most famous and visited, thanks to the accessibility and connection by ferries and stepped path from land. Underwater the Nereo Cave, considered the biggest and spectacular marine underwater cave of the Mediterranean Sea and Europe, is the most visited by scuba-divers.
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.
In the 1930s the Swedish writer Amelie Posse Brazdova wrote a book entitled Sardinia Side Show, where she told the complete story of 2 years she spent "interned" in Alghero old town during World War I.
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