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Alghero Cathedral and Surrounding Area
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For visitors to Alghero who approach the town from the North, along the coast,
the first notable landmark is the
Bastione La Maddalena at the end of the town walls.
Giardini Pubblici
This impressive structure is actually an empty shell and is occasionally used for
open-air cinema during the summer months. Beyond this point, passing the public gardens
(Giardini Pubblici) to the left, and tourist office to the right, is the Porta Terra
which used to be one of the two entrances to the old town. This massive tower dating
back to the 16th century now contains a bookshop and was believed to have been built
by the town's Jewish community.
Piazza Civica
Heading into the old town from Bastione La Maddalena leads to the Piazza Civica, one
of the larger open spaces which is lined with restaurants, boutiques and includes the
Palazzo d'Albis. This used to function as the Governor's palace and is famous as the
setting for the speech that the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, gave to the towns people
on the eve of his departure from Sardinia to fight the Turks in Africa.
Cathedral
At the end of Piazza Civica, opposite the small Piazza Duomo is the entrance to Alghero's Cathedral (Cattedrale di Santa Maria). Dating back to the 14th century this building
was restructured into a style inspired by Catalan Gothic shortly after the elevation of
Alghero to city status in the 1500s.
Work was not completed until 1730 when the cathedral
was consecrated and the interior exhibits a number of contrasting styles. The five
radiating chapels of the original building still represent the gothic period, the centre
is largely renaissance whilst the neoclassic façade was added in the 20th century.
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