nuove - Sardinia Point

Home E nuove

by Salvatore Corrias
photos by P.Rinaldi

|where to sleep|where to eat|night life|

Second city of the Sardinia and chieftown of an extended province, Sassari still keeps the typical looks of the ancient rural and commercial village.
The chasing urbanization has not damaged the solid and prestigious cultural traditions of a city that appears to the eyes of the visitor extremely varied and rich of history.
Sassari is today an important administrative and industrial center.

events:
“the Sardinian Cavalcade “: the penultimate Sunday of May; festivity of “Li Candereri ” the14th of August;

some gastronomicalspecialties:
> >the “zimino”, bowels of heifer in humid or cooked;
> >the “cordula”, intestines of lamb with peas;
> >the “monzette”(snails that live underground) roast or cooked;
> >the “coccoiddu appienu”, snails to bake with stuffing of cheese and tomato sauce.
to arrive:
>> from the International Airport of Fertilia, to 10 km from Alghero, connected to Sassari with the 291 statal road; >> from the Port and from the Airport of Olbia covering the 597 statal road;
>>from the call of the port of PortoTorres covering towards south the first feature of the 131 statal road;
>>from Cagliari covering towards north nearly all the131 statal road.

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economy: based above all on the tertiary field and in smaller measure on the agrarian activity (home production, oil mills and “pasta” factories), on the manifacturing, textile, mechanical, pharmaceutical, polygraphic, wood, glass and clothing industry.

inhabitants: 119,956
extension: 604.6 kmq
altitude: 225m s.l.m.
geographic position: in the North-western Sardinia, among the regions of Anglona, Nurra and Logudoro, not far from the Gulf of Asinara. Sassari is placed on an declivity to north

city landscape
The city has a modern aspect and boasts prestigious structures, sign of several artistic and architectonic tendencies.
The urban structure winds itself into a ball according toa a geometric development that has had to adapt to the conformation of the geographic place.

In the Historical Center are present tightened alleys, alleys, underpasses, arch and ancient pavements.
Here are the most important monuments and it is still possible to catch a glimpse of examples of architecture that go back to the so-called “umbertino age “(from Umberto I King of Italy (1844-1900).
A time this area was encircled from the ancient mediaeval walls pulled down on ending of the ‘ 800. Along the “Corso Trinita’” they are still visible the rests of the ancient town-walls.
Around to the historical center they extend radially, the quarters born after the urban modernization of the nineteenth-century, of which the roads, Square of Italy (“the drawing-room” of the sassaresi) and Castle Square are clear signs.
The face of Sassari goes back to the XVII century, when the baroque buildings began to replace the medioeval buildings erected in the communal period.

But the strongest print was given from the urban planning political of the Savoia family, who gave beginning to the expansion of the inhabited centre, embellishing with elegant palaces, gardens, porches and long tree-lined avenues. It is possible to admire the noble and ancient palaces of the ancient Sassari, walking along the Vittorio Emanuele Course, “sa platha “(“the public square”), the main artery of the historical center.

nature
Sassari has the most extended communal territory of Italy: it comprises nearly all the north-western angle of the province, except of the peninsula of “Capo Falcone”(Falcon Cape).
Whether the outskirtses of Sassari or the farest areas have a great naturalistic-panoramic interest.
Sassari is embraced from a green belt towards which they lead the tree-lined avenues and the public gardens.
To the inside of the city already the pit of the “Noce”( Walnut) contains some natural elements that recall the surrounding valley atmosphere.
From the south part of the lived centre there is the valley of Mascari that is opened, through thick olive-yards alternated to sporadic woods, towards the flat one of the Eba Giara-Rosello-S.Orsola, rich of gardens.
In little tens of minuts it is possible to catch up the coastal zone, whether towards north or towards the north-west.
To the north there is the beautiful beach of Platamona: on the oriental side of the beach, towards Marina of Sorso, it vegetates a richpine-wood pineta.
To the north-west there is the zone of Argentiera, an area really interesting, with the ancient mines and a nature often integral.
Nearer to the north, towards the Asinara, it can be catch up the wanderful shorelines of Stintino.
The inland, whether towards south or towards east, is a hilly territory: the hills of the Logudoro and the Anglona are studded with big rural villages and many nuragical places.

historical notices
Sassari was founded in the Middle Ages from the refugees from Torres (the Turris Libysonis of Roman age) and in part from the people of the Romangia and the Flumenargia.
In the first half of the ‘ 200, the modest village of Tathari became the most important centre of the Sentence of Torres, thanks also to the gradual afflux of pisan merchants.
In the 1294 Sassari emanated the famous Statutes of the free City: the city becomes free city but in reality Sassari is under the political infuence of the City of Genoa.
Sassari became episcopal seat in the 1441.
Sassari passed under the Aragonese and Spanish rule following the history of the entire Sardinia for nearly four centuries.
In the first decades of the ‘ 700 it began the rule of the Savoia family: the new sovereigns of Sardinia.
In the 1796, Sassari was in the center of the rebellions that were headed by Giovanni Maria Angioy Angioy, a really important an of the Sardinian history, bound to the city of Turris (Sassari).
In the second half of the 1800 Sassari intensified the commercial relationships with France and this produced a remarkable economic development.