Catalan Gothic Churches & Palaces in Alghero

Cathedral of Saint Mary the Immaculate, Alghero

Introduction

The Kingdom of Sardinia was an associate state of the Crown of Aragon from the 14th to the 18th century. The Aragonese conquest of the island took place between 1324 and 1420. After the union of the crowns of Castile and Aragon, it became a part of the Spanish Empire. It was under the Habsburg rule from 1516 to 1700, its ownership was contested in the early 18th century, and it fell into the hands of the House of Savoy in 1720.

Alghero was conquered by Peter IV in the mid-14th century. Its native population was expelled and replaced by families from Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia and Majorca. The settlers were granted numerous privileges and were allowed to reshape the town according to their needs and taste. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it was a prosperous town under the Catalan cultural influence.

In architecture, this period is best represented by buildings designed in Catalan Gothic style. These include the two most important churches of the town as well as the palaces of the local noble families and merchants. Most of these buildings were heavily modified in the subsequent centuries and the Gothic elements survive only in a fragmentary form.

In the compilation of these portfolios I relied on the following dissertation: Schintu, Fr. (2016). L’Alguer e la Corona d’Aragona. Architettura civile catalana di Alghero tra XV e XVI secolo: tipi, stile e tecniche. Università degli Studi Roma Tre.

Sites

These portfolios consist of photos of the following sites:

Church and Convent of Saint Francis | Via Carlo Alberto (Carrer de Sant Francesc) 46 | second half of 15th century
Cathedral of Saint Mary the Immaculate | Piazza Duomo (Plaça de Santa Maria) 2 | mid-16th century
De Ferrera Palace | Piazza Civica (Plaça del Pou Vell) 30-34 | mid-15th century
Carcassona Palace | Via Sant’Erasmo (Carrer de les Monges) 8-14 | mid-15th century
Arbosich Palace | Via Sant’Erasmo (Carrer de les Monges) 16 | second half of 15th century
Royal Customs House | Piazza Civica (Plaça del Pou Vell) 40-42 | 15th century
Guió i Duran Palace | Via Roma (Carrer de la Mercè) 73-77 | late 15th century
Çarrovira Palace | Via Carlo Alberto (Carrer Major) 8-14 | early 16th century
Salt Well Palace | Via Manno (Carrer del Fossar) & Via Santa Barbara (Carrer de Santa Barbara) | first half of 16th century
Tibau Palace | Via Principe Umberto (Carrer del Bisbe & Carrer de Bonaria) 9-11 | mid-16th century
Piazza Duomo (Plaça de Santa Maria) 1
Via Carlo Alberto (Carrer de Sant Francesc) 38