It is true that you can do both things at the same time, as there is no lack of attractions and places of interest.
And if you are in the city for working purposes, nothing prevents you to mix business with pleasure.
A city looking to the sea
Sassari is located in the immediate hinterland of the
Gulf
of Asinara and lies on a bright calcareous tableland which gently slopes down to the coast. The city is very near to the sea whose scent is pleasantly noticeable in the air.
Cosy, vivid and dynamic, Sassari retains the vestiges of a past sinking its roots in the middle ages as it became a free city,
a centre for trades and a major cultural attraction.
In that period the
historical centre got its actual shape which you can recognize in its distinctive maze of streets, alleyways and little squares where the most authentic spirit of the city lingers.
Walking through history
Inside the ancient
city walls, of which some stretches still exist, you encounter the most significant historical and artistic monuments: the
Cathedral in Catalan gothic style,
the late Renaissance church of
St. Catherine, the medieval church of
St. Mary of Bethlehem,
the sixteenth-century
Fountain of Rosello, the
Ducal Palace, the
Usini Palace and the building of the Jesuit College which now houses the
University.
Those are some of the highlights of a long trip in which you will easy find further items of interest such as the artistic polychromatic wood-carved retables, i.e. magnificent Spanish baroque works of art, which frame the altars of several churches (remarkable are those of the church
of
St. Antony, of the church of the
Rosary and of the thirteenth-century monastery of
St. Peter in Silki).
Ancient and modern
The most recent urban tissue is in turn rich of element of interest and appeal, from the eighteenth-century expansion around the wide square of
Piazza d'Italia,
which is the traditional meeting place of the city. The architectures which surround the square form an homogeneous and organic whole of remarkable visual impact.
The most prestigious and impressive building is the
Province Building in Neoclassical style. On the other side of the square is the
Giordano Palace in Neogothic style.
A city to stay in and eat around the table
Craftsmen's workshops, outdoor cafes, entertainment venues, big and small stores for shopping and many food courts,
trattorias and
restaurants
which offer even the oldest and most genuine dishes from the local gastronomic tradition.
The typical
cuisine of Sassari is made up of several dishes of peasant origin and is experienced as an occasion for conviviality and its features make it unique in the area
of the Sardinian gastronomy.
Events
The
Festha Manna, i.e. the Great Feast of Sassari
on the
14th August: the streets of the city centre become the setting of the
Faradda di Li Candareri (the Descent of the Candle Holders) a procession which recurs for centuries to fulfil the vow made to Our Lady of the Assumption who saved the city from the plague in the sixteenth century.
The leading actors of the Faradda are the
gremi (i.e. the medieval guilds) whose members carry on their backs heavy lavishly embellished candlesticks and dance until they come to the church of St. Mary of Bethlehem.
The city houses also the
Cavalcata sarda(Sardinian Cavalcade) which is held once a year on the penultimate Sunday of
May.
This laic event consists of a parade - on foot or on horse - of folkloristic groups wearing the rich
traditional costumes from the different parts of Sardinia.
Those events attract thousands of visitors both
Italians and foreigners.
City's surroundings
Also the hinterland has remarkable landscape and cultural attractions.
You only need a few minutes to reach the thick pinewood and beach of
Platamona, an ideal beach destination which is enjoyable even in winter and autumn with plenty of warm and sunny days.
The most renowned coast stretches of the North
West Sardinia lie no more than a half hour away
from Sassari: the Catalan city of
Alghero
(the visit of the city centre is a must) with
the splendid
Coral Coast (
Rivera del Corallo);
the village of
Stintino with the famous
Pelosa beach, separated from the near island of
Asinara from a turquoise sea inlet;
the monumental
Romanic-Pisan basilica of Saccargia, the most famous in Sardinia in this style; the near city of
Porto Torres,
which is also rich in archaeological remains (the prehistoric altar of
Monte d'Accoddi) from the roman (
Antiquarium and
archaeological park)
and medieval periods (the
basilica of St. Gavinus which is the biggest and oldest Romanic church of Sardinia).
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