Sassari is an Italian city and the second-largest of Sardinia in terms of population with over 130,000 inhabitants, or about 275,000 including the metropolitan area. One of the oldest cities on the island, it contains a considerable collection of art. Since its origins at the turn of the 12th century, Sassari has been ruled by the Giudicato of Torres, the Pisans, the Sassaresi themselves in alliance with Genoa, the Aragonese and the Spanish, all of whom have contributed to Sassari’s historical and artistic heritage. Sassari is a city rich in art, culture and history, and is well known for its beautiful palazzi, the Fountain of the Rosello, and its elegant neoclassical architecture, such as Piazza d’Italia (Italy Square) and the Teatro Civico (Civic Theatre). read more…
Alghero is a town of about 44,000 inhabitants. It lies in the province of Sassari in northwestern Sardinia, next to the Mediterranean Sea. The Catalan language is co-official in the city, unique in Italy. 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. read more…
Olbia is a city and comune of 58,000 inhabitants in northeastern Sardinia, in the Gallura sub-region. Called Olbia in the Roman age, Civita in the Middle Ages (Giudicati period) and Terranova Pausania before the 1940s, Olbia was again the official name of the city during the period of Fascism. read more…
Carbonia is a town and comune, which along with Iglesias is a co-capital of the province of Carbonia-Iglesias. It is located in the south-west of the island, at about an hour by car or train from the regional capital, Cagliari. read more…
Quartu Sant’Elena, located four miles East from Cagliari on the ancient Roman road, is a city and comune in the Province of Cagliari. It is the third biggest city of Sardinia with a population of 69,000. The city’s name comes from its distance to Cagliari (Quartum miles, Latin for “four miles”), and from the passage there of St. Helena, mother of emperor Constantine. read more…
Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and before Cyprus) and an autonomous region of Italy, which goes by the official name of Regione Autonoma della Sardegna / Regione Autònoma de Sardigna (Autonomous Region of Sardinia). Taken as a whole, Sardinia’s economic conditions are such that the island is in the best position among Italian regions located south of Rome. The greatest economic development had taken place inland, in the provinces of Cagliari and Sassari, characterized by a certain amount of enterprise. The Sardinian economy is, however, constrained due to the high costs of the transportation of goods and electricity, which is twice that of the continental Italian regions, and triple that of the EU average. Sardinia is the only Italian region that produces a surplus of electricity, and exports electricity to Corsica and the Italian mainland. Today Sardinia is phasing in as an EU region, with a diversified economy focused on tourism and the tertiary sector. The economic efforts of the last twenty years have reduced the handicap of insularity, especially in the fields of low-cost air travel and advanced information technology. read more…
Cagliari is an Italian municipality and the capital of the island of Sardinia, an Autonomous Region of Italy. Cagliari’s Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has nearly 150,000 inhabitants, while its metropolitan area has more than 480,000 inhabitants. It is also the seat of the University of Cagliari. read more…
The Costa Smeralda (English: Emerald Coast) is a coastal area and tourist destination in northern Sardinia, 55 km (34 mi) long and covering more than 30 km2 (12 sq mi). With white sand beaches, a golf club, private jet and helicopter service, and hotels costing up to US$2,000-3,000 per night in the peak season, the area has drawn celebrities, business leaders and other affluent visitors. read more…
Porto Cervo is an Italian seaside resort in northern Sardinia. It is a frazione of the comune of Arzachena, in the province of Olbia-Tempio. The village is the main centre of the Costa Smeralda, on the gulf of the same name. It was created by Prince Karim Aga Khan. Porto Cervo has a resident population of less than 200 inhabitants. Porto Cervo is home to the Monte di Mola (MdM) art gallery, which is the most important gallery on the Costa Smeralda. read more…
