Guida Kikero 2023

The genoese foundation and the catalan conquest
Notwithstanding the presence of settlements in the surroundings ever
since prehistoric times, the city of Alghero has its origins in the mid-thirteenth
century, when a powerful Genoese family, the Dorias, founded a
primitive military base called ‘Castellaccio’ in the area today known for the
presence of the old hospital. When, in 1354, Catalans guided by Pierre III
the Ceremonious conquered Alghero after a lengthy siege and a sea battle
in the Porto Conte Bay, the ‘Castellaccio’ was converted into the first
settlement nucleus of the city. Specifically, that was the place where the
Jewish Quarter, with its own synagogue and cemetery, lay. As a matter of
fact, after the local inhabitants were cast out, Alghero was repopulated by
Jewish immigrants. However, an edict issued by Ferdinand the Catholic in
1492 ordered that all Jews were expelled from the Crown of Spain dominions.
Understandably, the order was not extended to those converted to
Christianity, among which was the Carcassona family. After the expulsion
of Jews, skilled traders, the city had suffered an economic crisis.
The bastion fort
The Catalan period has left a deep mark in the Alguerese architecture and
linguistic identity. In those years, the city was equipped with a defensive
system of sturdy towers and strong bastions that supplemented the original
military system of Genoese origins, turning the small settlement into
a city-fortress. During the Catalan domination Alghero enjoyed its golden
age: in 1501, it was honored with the title of Regal City and, only two years
later, was designated Episcopalian See. From that moment on, Alghero
granted citizenship also to non Catalan inhabitants, opening its gates to
Sardinians too. The XVI century was characterized by the almost legendary
visit, in 1541, of the Emperor Carlo V and by the dreadful pestilence
of the 1582, that decimated the population. Victims of the plague were
buried in the old cemetery right behind St Michael church, recently discovered
and excavated. The XVI and XVII centuries saw the construction
of some churches in the historical centre and the reinforcement of the defensive
system.
Through the ‘800 until the WWII
During the Spanish and the short Austrian dominions, things went roughly
unchanged. But when Alghero unwittingly became part of the Kingdom
of Savoy, it experienced a slow military and economic decadence. Nevertheless,
in those years, the city reappraised the economic potential of a
resources already known in the past: coral. Coral fishing was practiced in
Sardinia since far-off times, but only in the XVIII century families from Liguria
and Campania settled here to fully exploit this resource, that, however,
was processed elsewhere.
During the Savoy dominion, the city was equipped with a sewage system
and illumination infrastructures. In those years, economy developed on
two main sectors: agriculture and handicraft.
The XX century saw the two World Wars inflict deep wounds to the city.
Specifically, the World War II, as well as wreaking havoc on the ancient
heart of the city, has further weakened the Alguerese economy. However,
very soon the city managed to recover, particularly investing in the beach
tourism sector. But what has profoundly marked Alghero and made it incomparable
is its Catalan identity, almost unconsciously but yet naturally
preserved, and considered as an inestimable treasure by Catalans.
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