| During the following years Sardinians attempted to drive away Catalan but they weren’t successful.
At the end of 15th century the island was a peaceful dominion therefore the Spanish sovereign granted the citizenship also to those people who were not Catalan, thus opening the city to every Sardinian citizen. Population growth coincided with a phase of economic prosperity, civil and social development. The second half of the 16th century represented the golden age for Alghero, which became the preferential visible trade port of call for Sardinia, while coral and lobster fishing attracted hundreds crafts in the harbour every year.
During the following years the city was lacerated by the plague which caused thousands deaths and depopulation. Reconstruction and repopulating started from 1665.
In 1720 Savoia dynasty acquired the Sardinian reign including Alghero, but there weren’t important changes. As a matter of fact the economic and social crisis continued, a crisis which the city can’t overcome for years.
In 19th century the city had to face up to further famine and a dreadful series of epidemic made Algherese’s existence very hard. For these reasons the city has been visited by the king Carlo Alberto many times.
In 1862 in “San Giovanni” beach the Algherese built a bathing establishment (“Lu Bagnètu”) one of the first, not only in Sardinia. From this moment started the growth of summer tourist flow of visitors, eventhogh slowly and gradually. The real explosion of tourism took place during the years of the second postwar. |
