Alghero is a historic seafaring city in Sardinia, also known as “Little Barcelona” due to its preservation of the Catalan language, making it a linguistic island. It is the main town of the Riviera del Corallo, named for its rich waters teeming with high-quality red coral, harvested for centuries by corallari divers. Coral trade has been vital both economically and culturally, symbolized by the coral branch on its coat of arms. The name “Alghero” comes from Aleguerium (seaweed), referencing the Posidonia oceanica on its shores.
The Grotta Verde, a submerged cave at Capo Caccia, was used during the Neolithic period (6th–5th millennium BC). In the Late Neolithic (3500–2700 BC), underground tombs such as the domus de janas and necropolises like Anghelu Ruju, part of the Ozieri culture, were established.
Alghero’s origins trace back to the 12th century when the Genoese Doria family founded its first settlement. Its strategic location and aquifer, evident from old wells, fostered growth. In 1501, Alghero became a “royal city,” and in 1541, Emperor Charles V visited, admiring its qualities. In 1652, the plague devastated the city, brought by a Catalan ship, and spread across Sardinia. Despite passing to the House of Savoy in 1720, Alghero retained its cultural and linguistic traditions.
Alghero’s natural landscape is diverse, with sandy beaches, jagged cliffs, Mediterranean vegetation, and pinewoods. The Capo Caccia promontory, known for its cliff shaped like a sleeping giant, is a symbol of the town alongside its prized red coral.