Sassari

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Piazza d' Italia (Square of Italy), Sassari

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Imperia-Parasio-IMG_2529.JPG Sassari (in Italian and Sassarese, Tàthari in Sardinian), is a town in the province of Sassari in Sardinia, Italy. The second-largest town on the island in terms of population, Sassari is one of the most ancient Sardinian towns, and contains a considerable collection of Sardinian art.

1 History
2 University
3 Language
4 Main sights
5 Museums
6 Notable people
7 Sources and references
8 Consulates
9 Twin towns
10 External links

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History

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The Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Sassari.

Sassari was probably founded in the early Middle Ages by the inhabitants of the ancient Roman port of Turris Lybisonis (current Porto Torres) who sought refuge in the mainland to escape the Saracen attacks from the sea. The oldest mention of a village called Tathari is in an 1113 document in the archive of the Monastery of St. Peter in Silki. Sassari was sacked by the Genoese in 1166. Immigration continued until, in the early 13th century, Sassari was the most populous city in the giudicato of Torres, and its last capital. After the assassination of the latter's last judge (1274), Sassari was subject to the Republic of Pisa with a semi-independent status.

In 1294 the Pisans were annihilated by the Genoese fleet at the Battle of Meloria, and the city could free itself: it became the first and only free commune of Sardinia, with statutes of its own, allied with Genoa, which was pleased to see it thus withdrawn from the control of the Pisans. Its statutes of 1316 are remarkable for the leniency of the penalties imposed when compared with the penal laws of the Middle Ages.

From 1323 it was submitted to the Aragonese, under which it remained in the following centuries, but it revolted at least three times. The revolts ceased when the king Alfonso V of Aragon promoted the town as "Città Regia"(Royal Town), a town directly ruled by the King and free from feudal system. Attempts of conquest by Genoa failed. In 1391 it was conquered by Brancaleone Doria and Marianus V of Arborea to the Giudicato of Arborea, of which it became the capital, but in 1420 it fell into the hands of the Aragonese. The Aragonese were replaced by the Spanish in 1479. In 1527 it was sacked by the French. During Catalan and then Spanish domination the city was known as Sàsser. The city alternated years of crisis, featured from economic exploitation, the decrease of the maritime trade, gotten unsafe from the daily raids of Saracens pirates,political corruption of its rulers and from two plagues in 1528 and 1652, with periods of cultural and economic prosperity, the Jesuits founded, in Sassari, the first sardinian university, in 1562, in the same years was introduced the first printing system and the renaissance humanism movement spread. Several artists of Mannerist and Flemish school operated in town.

Austrian rule (1708–1717) was succeeded by Piedmontese (1720–1861), after which Sassari became part of the newly created Kingdom of Italy.

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University

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The Fountain of the Rosello

Sassari's University is the oldest in Sardinia (founded by the Jesuits in 1562-1627), and has a high reputation, especially in jurisprudence studies, veterinarian, medicine and agrarian Studies; its libraries contain a number of ancient documents, among them the Condaghes, Sardinia's first legal codes and the first documents written in the Sardinian language (11th century) and the famous Carta de Logu (the constitution issued by Mariano IV d'Arborea and updated later by his daughter in 14th century the Giudichessa Eleanor of Arborea).

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Language

The Sassarese diasystem (Sassaresu or Turritanu) is not very similar to the Sardinian language, but is closest to the Corsican language, although this fact has caused a deep controversy. It is based on a mixture of different languages, namely Corsican, Pisano and Genoan (due to long medieval contacts with the maritime republics of Pisa and Genoa in the age of Giudicati), Spanish, and Catalan. A strong Logudorese influence can also be felt in its phonetics, syntax, and vocabulary. Sassarese is spoken in Sassari and in the neighbourhood, approximately by 120,000 people, in a total population of 175,000 inhabitants; large speaking communities are present also in Stintino, Sorso and Porto Torres; its transition varieties towards Gallurese, known as the castellanesi dialects, can be heard in Castelsardo, Tergu e Sedini).

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Main sights

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Palazzo della Provincia (palace of Sassari's Province)

Archeological site of Monte d'Accoddi: a unique prehistoric monument (a Step pyramid construction, as Mesopotamian Ziggurat)
The Pisan City Walls that in the 13th century surrounded the city with 36 towers (which at the moment only 6 remains), and the Aragonese Castle, demolished in 1877, whose ruins, including some rooms, the basement, and part of a tower were rediscovered in 2008.
The church of St. Peter in Silki, built in the 12th century but renovated in the 17th century. Where were found very important medieval codes Condaghe di san Pietro in Silki
Corso Vittorio Emanuele, it's the main street of medieval town.
The Cathedral of St. Nicholas of Bari, built in the 13th century and enlarged in Catalan Gothic style from 1480; there is a monument to the Duca di Moriana inside. The façade, belonging to the Baroque Spanish colonial restorations of 1650–1723, has a rectangular portico surmounted by three niches housing statues of saints. The bell tower is in Romanesque style.
The church and monastery of Santa Maria di Bètlem (13th-19th century). The original façade and parts of monastery are in Lombard Romanesque style, some chapels in International Gothic, while the rest of building, include the big dome, was rebuilt in Baroque and Neoclassic style, by the sardinian architect Antonio Cano, in 1829-34.
The Church of the Most Blessed Trinity contains a beautiful picture by an unknown artist of the Quattrocento.
Palazzo D'Usini, most important example of civilian architecture of the Renaissance period in Sardinia (now housing the main Public Library, therefore open to visits from the public).
The Fountain of the Rosello, built in 1606 by Genoese craftsmen. It is made by two squared parts surmounted by two crossing arches on which the statue of St. Gavins is placed
University Palace (17th-20th century), originally a Jesuit school.
The Ducal Palace (current Town Hall, 1775-1806), built for the Duke of the Asinara in the 18th century.
Piazza D' Italia (19th century), it's the main square in Sassari, it's surrounded by interesting buildings as the Neogothic "Palazzo Giordano" and the neoclassical "Palace of Sassari's Province", where, for a while, were located the ancient royal apartments of the House of Savoy.

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Museums

thumb|200px|right|National "G.A. Sanna" Museum

National Archaeological and Ethnographic "G.A. Sanna" Museum

National Pinacotheca "Mus'A"

Historical Museum of "Brigata Sassari"

Museum of Science and Technology (it is constituted by many collections located in several university faculties: mineralogical , botanic, Entomological, zoological, anatomical collection "Luigi Rolando", physics and agronomic collection)

Ethnographic Museum "Francesco Bande"

Contemporary Art Museum "Masedu"

Museum And Treasury Of Cathedral

Museum of History of Sassari

Museum of Sassari's Diocese

Museum of Candelieri

Mario Sironi art collection

Art gallery "Giuseppe Biasi"

Pavillion of sardinian handicraft EXPO "I.S.O.L.A."

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Notable people

Notable people born here include the former presidents of the Italian Republic, Antonio Segni and Francesco Cossiga, and the national secretary in the 1970s and leader of the most important Communist party in Western Europe Enrico Berlinguer.

Sassari is also the birthplace of Domenico Alberto Azuni, a jurist expert in commercial law.

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