Sassari ( ; ; ; ) is an Italian city and the second-largest of

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...

in terms of population with 120,497 inhabitants as of 2025, and a functional urban area of about 260,000 inhabitants. One of the oldest cities on the island, it contains a considerable collection of art. Since its origins at the turn of the 12th century, Sassari has been ruled by the Giudicato of Torres, the

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...

ns, as an independent republic in alliance with

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

, by the Aragonese and the Spanish, all of whom have contributed to Sassari's historical and artistic heritage. Sassari is a city rich in art, culture and history, and is well known for its palazzi, the Fountain of the Rosello, and its elegant

neoclassical architecture Neoclassical architecture, sometimes referred to as Classical Revival architecture, is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy, France and Germany. It became one of t ...

, such as Piazza d'Italia (Italy Square) and the Teatro Civico (Civic Theatre). As Sardinia's second most populated city, it has a considerable amount of cultural, touristic, commercial and political importance in the island. The city's economy mainly relies on tourism and services, however also partially on research, construction,

pharmaceutical Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the ...

s and the

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring un ...

industry.

History

Prehistory and ancient history

Although Sassari was founded in the

early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages (historiography), Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th to the 10th century. They marked the start o ...

, the surrounding area has been inhabited since the

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

age, and throughout

ancient history Ancient history is a time period from the History of writing, beginning of writing and recorded human history through late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the development of Sumerian language, ...

, by the Nuragics and the Romans.
Many archaeological sites and ancient ruins are located inside or around the town: the prehistoric step pyramid of Monte d'Accoddi, a large number of Nuraghes and Domus de Janas (Fairy Houses), the ruins of a Roman aqueduct, the ruins of a Roman villa discovered under San Nicholas Cathedral, and a portion of the ancient road that connected the Latin city of Turris Libisonis with Caralis. In the locality of ''Fiume Santo'' is also found a fossil site where an '' Oreopithecus bambolii'', a prehistoric anthropomorphic primate, was discovered, dated at 8.5 million years.

Middle Ages

The origin of the city remains uncertain. Among the theses, according to folk tradition the first village was founded around the 9th–10th century AD by the inhabitants of the ancient Roman port of ''Turris Libisonis'' (current Porto Torres), who sought refuge in the mainland to escape the

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Rom ...

attacks from the sea. It developed from the merger of a number of separate villages, such as San Pietro di Silki, San Giacomo di Taniga, and San Giovanni di Bosove. The oldest mention of the village is in an 1131 document in the archive of the Monastery of St. Peter in Silki where is cited a man named ''Jordi de Sassaro'' (George of Sassari), a serf from the nearby village of Bosove. Sassari was sacked by the Genoese in 1166. Immigration continued until, in the early 13th century, it was the most populous city in the Giudicato of Torres, and its last capital. After the assassination of Michele Zanche, the latter's last ruler in 1275, Sassari became subject to the

Republic of Pisa The Republic of Pisa () was an independent state existing from the 11th to the 15th century centered on the Tuscan city of Pisa. It rose to become an economic powerhouse, a commercial center whose merchants dominated Mediterranean and Italian t ...

with a semi-independent status. In 1284, the Pisans were defeated by the Genoese fleet at the Battle of Meloria, and the city was able to free itself: it became the Republic of Sassari, the first and only early independent renaissance city-state of Sardinia, with statutes of its own, allied to Genoa; the Genoese were pleased to see it thus withdrawn from Pisan control. 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, the Republic of Sassari decided to side with the King of Aragon, in whose hands it remained for much of the following centuries, though the population revolted at least three times. The revolts ceased when King

Alfonso V of Aragon Alfonso the Magnanimous (Alfons el Magnànim in Catalan language, Catalan) (139627 June 1458) was King of Aragon and King of Sicily (as Alfons V) and the ruler of the Crown of Aragon from 1416 and King of Naples (as Alfons I) from 1442 until his ...

nominated the town as a Royal Burg, directly ruled by the King and free from feudal taxation, during a period in which it may have been the most populous city in Sardinia. Further attempts made by

to conquer the city failed. In 1391 it was conquered by Brancaleone Doria and Marianus V of Arborea, of the independent Sardinian Giudicato of Arborea, of which it became the last capital. However, in 1420, the city was sold along with the remaining territory for 100,000 florins to the Crown of Aragon, replaced by Spain after 1479 on the joining of the Aragonese and Castilian thrones. During the period of Aragonese and then Spanish domination the city was known as ''Sàsser'' in

Catalan language Catalan () is a Western Romance languages, Western Romance language and is the official language of Andorra, and the official language of three autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous communities in eastern Spain: Catalonia, the Balearic I ...

and ''Saçer'' in old Spanish.

Renaissance

The city alternated years of crisis, featuring economic exploitation, the decrease of the maritime trade, made unsafe by the daily raids of

pirates, political corruption of its rulers, the sacking of Sassari in 1527 by the French, and two plagues in 1528 and 1652, with periods of cultural and economic prosperity. The

Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

founded the first Sardinian

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

in Sassari in 1562. In the same year, the first

printing press A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a printing, print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in whi ...

was introduced and the ideals of Renaissance humanism became more widely known. Several artists of the

Mannerist Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

and Flemish schools practiced their art in the city.

Modern history

After the end of the Spanish period following the European wars of the early 18th century, the brief period of Austrian rule (1708–1717) was succeeded by domination by the Piedmontese, who then took over the title of

Kingdom of Sardinia The Kingdom of Sardinia, also referred to as the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica among other names, was a State (polity), country in Southern Europe from the late 13th until the mid-19th century, and from 1297 to 1768 for the Corsican part of ...

(1720–1861). In 1795 an anti-feudal uprising broke out in the town, led by the Emissary of the

Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

Giovanni Maria Angioy, a Sardinian civil servant, who later fought unsuccessfully against the

house of Savoy The House of Savoy (, ) is a royal house (formally a dynasty) of Franco-Italian origin that was established in 1003 in the historical region of Savoy, which was originally part of the Kingdom of Burgundy and now lies mostly within southeastern F ...

. The city was occupied by troops at the time. The dynasty of the Piedmontese King of Sardinia went on to the monarchs of Italy. Sassari, along with the rest of Italy, became part of the newly created

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

. At the end of the 18th century, the

was restored. In 1836, after six hundred years, the medieval walls were partially demolished, allowing the town to expand. New urban plans were developed, on the model of the capital of the new regime (

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

), with geometric streets and squares. Sassari became an important industrial center. In the 19th century, it was the second most important town in what was to become the future Italy for the production of

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...

, and in 1848 the Sassarese entrepreneur Giovanni Antonio Sanna gained control of the mine at Montevecchio, becoming the third richest man in the new Kingdom of Italy. The first railway was opened in 1872. In 1877, the old Aragonese castle was demolished, and on the site the "Caserma La Marmora" was built, where the headquarters of " Brigata Sassari" is still located. Founded in 1915, it still consists mainly of Sardinian soldiers. At the end of the 19th century, new urban developments grew on Cappuccini Hill and to the south of the city, architecturally dominated by

Eclecticism Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories i ...

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

and

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

styles, which created a movement towards the hybrid experimentation of new local architectural styles, known as the ''Sassarese Liberty''. During the Fascist dictatorship, the town had over fifty thousand inhabitants and new neighbourhoods were built, the most important of these being Monte Rosello and Porcellana, typical examples of Rationalist Architecture. On the other hand, the newspaper ''

La Nuova Sardegna is an Italian regional daily newspaper for the island of Sardinia. History and profile was founded in 1891 by Enrico Berlinguer, grandfather and namesake of Enrico Berlinguer, national secretary of the Italian Communist Party. The paper has ...

'', considered subversive, was closed down. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

three Allied attempts to bomb the town failed: only the railway station was damaged, and there was only one casualty. The 8th Stage of the 2023 Giro Donne finished at Salassa on 8 July.

Geography

Sassari is located in north-western Sardinia, at

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. The area rises up on a wide

karst Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...

ic plateau that slopes gently down towards the Gulf of Asinara and the Nurra plain. The city is surrounded by a

green belt A green belt or greenbelt is a policy, and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wilderness, wild, or agricultural landscape, land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts ...

of thousands of hectares of

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...

s, which from the 19th century have partly replaced the mixed woodlands of

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

and other Mediterranean trees as well as the

maquis shrubland 220px, Low maquis in Corsica 220px, High ''macchia'' in Sardinia ( , , ) or ( , ; often in Italian; , ; ; ; ) is a savanna-like shrubland biome in the Mediterranean region, typically consisting of densely growing evergreen shrubs. Maquis ...

. The thinly populated Nurra Plain, located to the west, occupies the main part of the region of Sassari, while the

urban agglomeration An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...

, with a population of about 275,000 inhabitants, is located to the south east. The abundance of water, with about 400 springs and artesian wells, has made for much development of

horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

over the centuries.

Climate

Culture

Language

Sassarese (''Sassaresu'' or ''Turritanu'') is much closer to Corsican and Tuscan language than it is to Sardinian, although this fact has caused some political controversy. It originated as a

lingua franca A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, link language or language of wider communication (LWC), is a Natural language, language systematically used to make co ...

between the first Sardinians,

Corsicans The Corsicans ( Corsican, Italian: ''Corsi''; French: ''Corses'') are a Romance-speaking ethnic group, native to the Mediterranean island of Corsica, a territorial collectivity of France. Origin and history The island was populated sinc ...

, Tuscans and

Liguria Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...

n people, during the period of the

maritime republics The maritime republics (), also called merchant republics (), were Italian Thalassocracy , thalassocratic Port city, port cities which, starting from the Middle Ages, enjoyed political autonomy and economic prosperity brought about by their mar ...

. The original Tuscan structure was influenced by the Sardinian Logudorese spoken in the area, with a strong influence that can be felt in its phonetics and vocabulary, and by Catalan and Spanish in vocabulary. Sassarese is spoken in Sassari and its immediate area by approximately 120,000 people out a total population of 175,000 inhabitants; it is also the language of the north-west of Sardinia, including Stintino,

Sorso Sorso () is a ''comune'' (municipality) of c. 14,700 inhabitants in the province of Sassari in the Italy, Italian region Sardinia, located about north of Sassari. Overview Sorso is a tourist resort facing the Gulf of Asinara. Apart tourism, the e ...

and Porto Torres; in the mid-northern areas of Sardinia, its ''Castellanesi'' dialects of Castelsardo, Tergu and Sedini are more similar to the

Gallurese Gallurese () is a Romance languages, Romance dialect of the Italo-Dalmatian languages, Italo-Dalmatian family spoken in the region of Gallura, northeastern Sardinia. Gallurese is variously described as a distinct southern dialect of Corsican lang ...

Main sights

* Archeological site of Monte d'Accoddi: a unique prehistoric monument with a step pyramid construction *The Pisan City Walls that in the 13th century surrounded the city with 36 towers (at the moment only 6 remain), and the Catalan-Aragonese Castle named Castello di Sassari, 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. Here were found the medieval codes known as Condaghe di san Pietro in Silki. * ''Corso Vittorio Emanuele'' is the main street of the medieval town, surrounded by interesting buildings of different ages, such as several examples of Catalan-gothic (as the so-called ''House of Re Enzo''), the baroque church of ''Sant' Andrea'', built by Corsican community, the neoclassic ''Civic Theatre'' and ''Quesada's palace''. * 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 Moria inside. The façade, belonging to the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

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 International Gothic is a period of Gothic art that began in Burgundy, France, and northern Italy in the late 14th and early 15th century. It then spread very widely across Western Europe, hence the name for the period, which was introduced by the ...

, while the rest of the building, include the big dome, was rebuilt in

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. * The Cimitero comunale di Sassari (Sassari Cemetery) opened in 1837 adjacent to the Chiesa San Paolo al Cimitero just west of the main railway station * ''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 supporting the statue of St. Gavino. * 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) is the main square in Sassari. It is surrounded by interesting buildings such as the Neo-Gothic "Palazzo Giordano" and the neoclassical "Palace of Sassari's Province", where the ancient royal apartments of the

House of Savoy The House of Savoy (, ) is a royal house (formally a dynasty) of Franco-Italian origin that was established in 1003 in the historical region of Savoy, which was originally part of the Kingdom of Burgundy and now lies mostly within southeastern F ...

were once located. * '' Teatro Verdi'', opera house and theater for concerts and plays

Museums

* 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 Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the ...

zoological Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...

anatomical Anatomy () is the branch of morphology concerned with the study of the internal structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old scien ...

collection "

Luigi Rolando Luigi Rolando (16 June 1773, Turin – 20 April 1831, Turin) was an Italian anatomist known for his pioneering research in brain localization of function. He studied medicine in Turin, later continuing his education in Florence, where he studie ...

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

and agronomic collection) * Ethnographic Museum "Francesco Bande" * Contemporary Art Museum "Masedu" * Museum and Treasury of the Cathedral * Museum of History of Sassari * Museum of Sassari's Diocese * Museum of Candelieri * Mario Sironi art collection * Art gallery " Giuseppe Biasi" * Pavilion of Sardinian handicraft EXPO "I.S.O.L.A."

Festivals and traditions

* The ''Faradda di li candareri'' ("Descent of the Candelieri") is a devotional procession, in which enormous wooden candles are carried by members of the city

guilds A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...

from the town centre to the church of Santa Maria of Betlem, in commemoration of the end of the plague in 1582, but it probably has older origins, from a cultural tradition from

that as early as in the second half of the 13th century was practiced in some parts of Sardinia. * The ''Cavalcata Sarda'' ("Sardinian Cavalcade"), a main event in Sardinia. On the last Sunday of May thousands of people come from all over Sardinia to Sassari to parade through the city in their local folk costumes on foot and ride on hundreds of the best Sardinian horses. * ''Sardinia Film Festival'' was founded in 2006. With 500 films, short subjects, animated cartoons and

documentaries A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". The American author and media analyst Bill ...

in 2009, it has become the most prominent

film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theater, cinemas or screening venues, usually annually and in a single city or region. Some film festivals show films outdoors or online. Films may be of recent ...

in Sardinia.

Sport

Football

The city of Sassari has U.S.D. Latte Dolce, the Torres Calcio Femminile that won seven

Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...

titles, eight

Coppa Italia Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since. Juventus is the competition's most successf ...

, seven Supercoppa Italiana and two Italy Women's Cup. The main football team is S.E.F. Torres 1903 who won the two

Serie C2 Serie C2 was the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. History Before the 1978–79 season, there were only three professional football leagues in Italy, the third being Serie C. The league menaging t ...

in 1986–87 and 1999–00. The club is also famous for lanching players like

Gianfranco Zola Gianfranco Zola (; born 5 July 1966) is an Italian football executive, Manager (association football), manager, and former Association football, footballer who played predominantly as a Forward (association football), forward. He is currently v ...

, Pietro Paolo Virdis, Antonello Cuccureddu, Comunardo Niccolai, Theofilos Karasavvidis, Walter Mazzarri.

Basketball

Sassari has the main basketball team that Dinamo Sassari in the 2014–15 won Italian League, the club won also the Italian Cup in

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

and

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

and the Italian Supercup in 2014 and 2019. in 2018–19 the club won the FIBA Europe Cup.

Handball

* HC Tangram 1 Sassari women's team handball club, playing in Serie A1.

Infrastructure

The city has the main Stadio Vanni Sanna where it is held some concerts and where plays the Torres Calcio Femminile, S.E.F. Torres 1903 and U.S.D. Latte Dolce. The

Palasport Roberta Serradimigni Palasport Roberta Serradimigni, commonly known as PalaSerradimigni, is a multi-use indoor sporting arena that is located in Sassari, Sardinia, Italy. The arena can be used to host basketball, volleyball, and handball Handball (also kno ...

is the indoor basketball arena where the basketball team of Dinamo Sassari plays and where it is held some concerts.

Government

Administrative subdivision

The Municipality of Sassari was subdivided into ten ''circoscrizioni'' (administrative districts), reduced to six since the elections of May 3, 2000, and four since the elections of May 31, 2010.

Economy

The economy of town is mainly focused on services and the advanced tertiary sector. It is the principal administrative centre of central and northern Sardinia. The main Sardinian banks ( Banco di Sardegna and Banca di Sassari) have head office and presidency in the city. Several research centers are located in town: the University ones, the Center of Regional Weather Service (''Meteo Sar.''), the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection (''ARPA''), the Zooprophylaxis Institute of Sardinia, and many labs of the National Research Center ( CNR): the Institute of Biometeorology (''IBIMET''), the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (''ICB''), the Institute of Ecosystem Studies (''ISE''), the Institute of Sciences of Food Production (''ISPA''), and the Institute for Animal Production System in Mediterranean Environment (''ISPAAM''). Manufacturing includes construction, pharmaceutical, food, typographic industry, and also, indirectly, petrochemical and the new greenchemicals located in Porto Torres. Tourism is concentrated mainly along the coasts. Platamona, Porto Ferro, Porto Palmas and

Argentiera Argentiera is a small town and a frazione (hamlet) in the comune of Sassari, in Sardinia, Italy. It is located 43 km west from Sassari, in a narrow valley, on the coast of the Sardinian Sea. History Argentiera is a former mining town, i ...

are the principal seaside tourist spots of the municipality.

Education

The University of Sassari is the oldest in Sardinia (founded by the

in 1562), and has a high reputation, especially in Jurisprudence, Veterinary Medicine, Medicine, and Agriculture. 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 Sardinian or Sard ( , , , , or , ) is a Romance languages, Romance language spoken by the Sardinians on the Western Mediterranean island of Sardinia. The original character of the Sardinian language among the Romance idioms has long been know ...

(11th century) and the famous Carta de Logu (the constitution issued by Marianus IV of Arborea and updated later by his daughter the ''Giudichessa'' Eleanor of Arborea) in the 14th century.

Transportation

The nearest airport, Fertilia International Airport, is from the city center, and the closest seaport is located at Porto Torres, away. Urban and suburban

public transport Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whic ...

is operated by about 25 bus lines of ''Azienda Trasporti Pubblici'' (ATP) and by a light rail transit of ''Azienda Regionale Sarda Trasporti'' (ARST). Two different railway companies connect the town to the rest of the island:

Trenitalia Trenitalia Società per azioni, SpA is the primary train operator of Italy. A subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, itself owned by the Italian government. It was established in 2000 following a European Union directive on the deregulati ...

links Sassari to Porto Torres, Oristano,

Cagliari Cagliari (, , ; ; ; Latin: ''Caralis'') is an Comune, Italian municipality and the capital and largest city of the island of Sardinia, an Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Italy. It has about 146,62 ...

Olbia Olbia (, ; ; ) is a city and communes of Italy, commune of 61,000 inhabitants in the Italy, Italian insular province of Sassari in northeastern Sardinia, Italy, in the historical region of Gallura. Called in the Roman age, Civita in the Middle ...

, Golfo Aranci, and the ARST reaches

Alghero Alghero (; ; ; ) is a city of about 45,000 inhabitants in the Italian province of Sassari in the north west of the island of Sardinia, next to the Mediterranean Sea. The city's name comes from ''Aleguerium'', which is a mediaeval Latin word m ...

, Nulvi and

Palau Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. The Republic of Palau consists of approximately 340 islands and is the western part of the Caroline Islands ...

. Dual carriage motorways link Sassari to Porto Torres, Platamona,

('' SS131''),

('' SS199'') and to Alghero ('' SS291''). High-capacity traffic roads connect Sassari to Tempio Pausania ('' SS672'') and Ittiri.

Notable people

Notable people born here include the former presidents of the Italian

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

, Antonio Segni and Francesco Cossiga, and

Enrico Berlinguer Enrico Berlinguer (; 25 May 1922 – 11 June 1984) was an Italian politician and statesman. Considered the most popular leader of the Italian Communist Party (PCI), he led the PCI as the national secretary from 1972 until his death during a te ...

, secretary of the

Italian Communist Party The Italian Communist Party (, PCI) was a communist and democratic socialist political party in Italy. It was established in Livorno as the Communist Party of Italy (, PCd'I) on 21 January 1921, when it seceded from the Italian Socialist Part ...

. Sassari is also the birthplace of Domenico Alberto Azuni, a jurist expert in commercial law. Notable historical personages * Salvatore Alepus, theologist and poet (Morilla – Valencia) * Edina Altara, artist * Giovanni Maria Angioy, politician * Domenico Alberto Azuni, jurist *

, leader of

Mario Berlinguer Mario Berlinguer (; 29 August 1891 – 5 September 1969) was an Italian lawyer and politician. Early life and family Born on 29 August 1891 in Sassari, Sardinia, Kingdom of Italy, Berlinguer descended from a noble Sardinian family of Catala ...

, politician * Giuseppe Biasi, painter * Daniel Bovet, biochemist (Nobel Prize) *

Italo Calvino Italo Calvino (, ; ;. RAI (circa 1970), retrieved 25 October 2012. 15 October 1923 – 19 September 1985) was an Italian novelist and short story writer. His best-known works include the ''Our Ancestors'' trilogy (1952–1959), the '' Cosm ...

, writer * Antonio Cano, sculptor and architect * Francesco Cetti * Fernando Clemente, architect * Francesco Cossiga, President of the Italian Republic * Enrico Costa, astrophysicist, known for studies of

gamma-ray burst In gamma-ray astronomy, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are extremely energetic events occurring in distant Galaxy, galaxies which represent the brightest and most powerful class of explosion in the universe. These extreme Electromagnetic radiation, ele ...

s * Giovanni del Giglio, painter better known as ''Maestro di Ozieri'' * Eva Mameli, botanist and naturalist * Vico Mossa, architect * Costantino Nivola, artist * Antonio Pigliaru, jurist and philosopher *

, anatomist * Aligi Sassu, painter * Antonio Segni, President of the Italian Republic * Mario Sironi, painter of creator of the ''Novecento'' * Giovanni Spano, writer * Eugenio Tavolara, artist * Palmiro Togliatti, leader of the

* Pasquale Tola, politician and magistrate * Michele Zanche, politician named by

Dante Dante Alighieri (; most likely baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri; – September 14, 1321), widely known mononymously as Dante, was an Italian Italian poetry, poet, writer, and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called ...

in the '' Divina Commedia''"''With him is his cohort Michel Zanche of Logodoro, and their tongues never tire with constant chatter about Sardinia.''" Contemporary personalities * Gavino Angius, member of the

Democrats of the Left The Democrats of the Left (, DS) was a social-democratic political party in Italy. Positioned on the centre-left, the DS, successor of the Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) and the Italian Communist Party, was formed in 1998 upon the merger ...

Paola Antonelli Paola Antonelli (born 1963) is an Italian architect, curator, author, editor, and educator. Antonelli is the Senior Curator of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, where she also serves as the founding Director o ...

, senior Curator in the Department of Architecture and Design at the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

in New York * Giovanni Berlinguer, one of the main members of the Democrats of the Left * Enzo Calzaghe, boxing trainer, father of Joe Calzaghe * Elisabetta Canalis, actress and television host * Toni Demuro, illustrator * Bruno Dettori, politician *

Antonello Grimaldi Antonio Luigi Grimaldi, known as Antonello Grimaldi (born 14 August 1955) is an Italian actor, film director, film and television director, and screenwriter. Biography Grimaldi was born on 14 August 1955 in Sassari on the island of Sardinia in ...

, film director * Filomena Moretti, guitarist *

Arturo Parisi Arturo Parisi (born 13 September 1940) is an Italian politician, leader of the Ulivist faction of the Democratic Party (Italy), Democratic Party and a four-time member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies. He was also Italian Minister of Defence, ...

, former minister of Defence and member of The Daisy * Giuseppe Pisanu, former

Italian Minister of the Interior The minister of the interior (Italian: ''ministro dell'interno'') in Italy is one of the most important positions in the Council of Ministers (Italy), Italian Council of Ministers and leads the Ministry of the Interior (Italy), Ministry of the ...

and now president of the Antimafia Commission * Giovanni Puggioni, runner * Roberto Tola, musician, composer, Recording Academy Member (Grammy Awards) *

Mario Segni Mariotto Segni (born 16 May 1939) is a retired Italian politician and professor of civil law. He founded several parties, which focused on fighting for electoral reform through referendums. He is the son of the politician Antonio Segni, one-time ...

, member of European parliament * Tazenda, ethno-pop-rock band

Twin towns – sister cities

Sassari is twinned with: *

Gorizia Gorizia (; ; , ; ; ) is a town and (municipality) in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, Region ...

, Italy, since 1983 *

Timișoara Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...

, Romania, since 1990 *

Gubbio Gubbio () is an Italian town and ''comune'' in the far northeastern part of the Italian province of Perugia (Umbria). It is located on the lowest slope of Mt. Ingino, a small mountain of the Apennine Mountains, Apennines. History Prehistory The ol ...

, Italy, since 2002, between the Faradda and the Saint Ubaldo Day *

Viterbo Viterbo (; Central Italian, Viterbese: ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Lazio region of Italy, the Capital city, capital of the province of Viterbo. It conquered and absorbed the neighboring town of Ferento (see Ferentium) in ...

, Italy, since 2006, between the ''Faradda'' and the Macchina di Santa Rosa * Nola, Italy, since 2006, between the ''Faradda'' and the Festa dei Gigli * Palmi, Calabria, Italy since 2006, between the ''Faradda'' and the Varia di Palmi * Napoli, Italy since 2009, between the ''Faradda'' and the Dedication of Saint Mary Major * Campobasso, Italy since 2009, between the ''Faradda'' and the Festival dei Misteri *

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

, Spain, since 2010 ("''artistic twinning''")

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Sardinia