Alghero

Alghero is a town in the province of Sassari, in Sardinia. Founded in the twelfth century by the Genoese, in the mid-fourteenth century the city finally passed under the rule of the Aragonese. Traces of this rule can also be found in the local dialect, a Sardinian variant of Catalan which the Italian Republic has recognized with the status of a minority language. Anyone wanting to see the remains of the Baroque in Alghero, should start by visiting the side altars of the Church of San Michele (Saint Michael). Holy Week in Alghero has a Catalan origin. On the evening of Holy Tuesday, the ancient Misteri, the statuary groups of the Passion, are escorted in procession by the brothers with typical streetlights. The parade begins and ends at the Church of San Francesco (Saint Francis), which houses an ancient wooden crucifix of Spanish origin. The cathedral, however, is the place where the intense rite of the crucifixion takes place.