ALGHERO
...
The name of Alghero seems to come from Aliga or marine grass seaweed,
from which could derive S'alighera (place of the seaweeds)
that is the name of the city in the language of the peasants of the
outskirtses. These habitually speak Sardinian from the Logudoro; a bit
corrupted, but the inhabitants of the city, without being Catalans of
pure blood at present stage, they have kept almost intact their
language. It is in this language, circumscribed within the walls of
Alghero, that they communicate between them, but they also understand
and know the Sardinian language... "
Alberto Ferreo Della Marmora, "Voyage en Sardaigne", Turin-Paris, 1839
The birth of Alghero does not have a precise date. Officially, towards
1100, the powerful Genoese family, Doria, began the
construction of the walls of fortification, also known as the bastions,
still present in the three quarters of the perimeter of the old town.
Signs of more archaic civilizations are evident, as that of the age of
the nuraghi in the agglomerate of Palmavera (close to the beach Le
Bombarde) or in other archaeological areas dated back to the ancient
Neolithic age.
Today Alghero is a splendid town of 45.000 inhabitants, and its economy is mainly based on tourism. Uncontaminated sea, beaches made of the most fine white sand, cliffs and reefs, and a splendid landscape that surround Alghero, make it the "Riviera del corallo".
