The province of Sassari (Italian: provincia di Sassari; Sardinian: provìntzia de Tàtari; Sassarese: prubìnzia di Sàssari; Algherese: província de Sàsser; Gallurese: pruvincia di Sassari) is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia, Italy. Its capital is the city of Sassari.
Province of Sassari | |
|---|---|
 Palazzo Sciuti, the provincial seat | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Map highlighting the location of the province of Sassari in Italy | |
| Country |  Italy |
| Region | Sardinia |
| Capital(s) | Sassari |
| Comuni | 92 |
| Government | |
| • Extraordinary commissioner | Pietro Fois |
| Area | |
• Total | 7,692 km2 (2,970 sq mi) |
| Population (31 July 2017) | |
• Total | 493,357 |
| • Density | 64/km2 (170/sq mi) |
| GDP | |
| • Total | €6.315 billion (2015) |
| • Per capita | €18,884 (2015) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 07000-07100 |
| Telephone prefix | 079 |
| Vehicle registration | SS |
| ISTAT | 090 |
As of 2017[update], the province had a population of 493,357 inhabitants.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 353,582 | — |
| 1961 | 385,319 | +9.0% |
| 1971 | 402,152 | +4.4% |
| 1981 | 438,981 | +9.2% |
| 1991 | 461,061 | +5.0% |
| 2001 | 460,660 | −0.1% |
| 2011 | 478,544 | +3.9% |
| 2021 | 476,516 | −0.4% |
| Source: ISTAT | ||
History
In ancient times, between 1600 and 1500 BC, the Nuragic civilization was at its peak in this area. During the Roman domination, the Logudoro region was one of the main grain suppliers of the Western Roman Empire, and was the seat of several legions. In the Middle Ages, the Logudoro region was the center of one of the four quasi-kingdoms in which Sardinia was divided, the Giudicato di Torres or Logoduro, the first capital being Ardara, later replaced by Sassari. The numerous countryside Romanesque basilicas date from this period. After the conquest by the House of Aragon, Logoduro declined, but later, under the House of Savoy rule as part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, it grew in significance. In the 20th century the construction of roads and railways brought more prosperity, but at the same time destroyed the large forest heritage of the region.
The Province of Sassari was founded in 1859, even before the unification of Italy in 1861, with an area which until 1927 included the entire head of the island, making it the largest province in the country at the time. The modern University of Sassari dates to around the same time that the province was created. Since 1878 the province has been administered from the Palazzo della Provincia in Sassari.
In April 2021, Sardinian Regional Council passed Regional Law Nr. 7, under which the province's territory was reorganized: the western part of the province around Sassari became the new Metropolitan City of Sassari (Città Metropolitana di Sassari), consisting of 66 comuni, whilst the eastern 26 comuni became part of new Province of Gallura-North Eastern Sardinia (Provincia della Gallura Nord-Est Sardegna), roughly corresponding to the old Province of Olbia-Tempio. Whilst the Italian government challenged the law, thus stalling its implementation, on March 12, 2022, the Constitutional Court ruled in favor of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia. On April 13, 2023, the regional council, at the proposal of the regional government, approved an amendment to the 2021 reform, defining the timeframe and manner of its implementation, which would see its full implementation in 2024.
Geography
Facing the Sardinian Sea to the north and west and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the east, the Province of Sassari is bordered to the south by the provinces of Nuoro and Oristano. It has an area of 7,692 square kilometres (2,970 sq mi), and a total population of 493,357 (2017). There are 92 comuni (municipalities) in the province, the largest of which are Sassari, Olbia, Alghero, Porto Torres, Tempio Pausania, Sorso, Ozieri, Ittiri and Sennori. Another town of note, Pattada, is particularly known for its handmade knives.
In the province is the only natural lake in Sardinia, Lake Baratz, and one of the largest artificial lakes, Lake Coghinas in the western part which (before the re-organization of Sardinian provinces) formed the boundary with the abolished province of Olbia-Tempio. In this territory is one of the largest plains in Sardinia, Nurra. The province contains some of the most famous resorts of Sardinia including Castelsardo, Porto Torres, Alghero, the Riviera del Corallo, Stintino and others. Stintino is located on the peninsula of the same name, running from the Nurra plain to the Asinara Island, part of the Asinara National Park. Among the notable beaches of the Province of Sassari is Balai in Porto Torres, Pelosa Beach in Stintino, and others such as Alghero il Lido, Maria Pia, Bombarde, and Mugoni. The inner part of the province in the traditional Logoduro region is characterized by a hilly and mountainous landscape, with soft volcanic terrains. The town of Ozieri is its most important center for culture and history away from the coast, noted for its production of tools and pottery from ancient times.
Administrative divisions
See also List of municipalities of the Province of Sassari
The province includes 92 comuni (sg.: comune). The largest by population are Sassari (127,217 inhabitants), Olbia (60,181) and Alghero (43,945).
Government
List of presidents of the province of Sassari
| President | Term start | Term end | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1952 | 1956 | Christian Democracy | |
| 2 | 1956 | 1961 | Christian Democracy | |
| 3 | 1961 | 1964 | Christian Democracy | |
| 4 | 1964 | 1970 | Christian Democracy | |
| 5 | 1970 | 1974 | Christian Democracy | |
| 6 | 1974 | 1975 | Christian Democracy | |
| 7 | 1975 | 1980 | Italian Communist Party | |
| 8 | 1980 | 1985 | Italian Democratic Socialist Party | |
| 9 | 1985 | 1990 | Christian Democracy | |
| 10 | 1990 | 1994 | Sardinian Action Party | |
| 11 | 1994 | 1995 | Democratic Party of the Left | |
| 12 | Pietro Soddu | 1995 | 2000 | Italian People's Party |
| 13 | 2000 | 2005 | Forza Italia | |
| 14 | 2005 | 2010 | The Daisy Democratic Party | |
| 2010 | 2015 | |||
| – | Guido Sechi | 2015 | 2019 | Special Commissioner |
| – | Pietro Fois | 2019 | Incumbent | Special Commissioner |
References
- Regions and Cities > Regional Statistics > Regional Economy > Regional Gross Domestic Product (Small regions TL3), OECD.Stats. Accessed on 16 November 2018.
- Population data from ISTAT
- "Sassari". Italia.it. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
- Simonis, Damien (2003). Sardinia. Lonely Planet. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-74059-033-4.
- A Gazetteer of the World: Or, Dictionary of Geographical Knowledge. A. Fullarton. 1859. p. 444.
- Barnard, Henry (1870). The American journal of education. F.C. Brownell. p. 198.
- "Legge regionale 12 aprile 2021, n. 7" [Regional law 7 of April 12, 2021] (PDF). Region of Sardinia (in Italian).
- "Leggi impugnate dal Governo". Consiglio regionale della Sardegna (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-01-25.
- "Politica, nuove Province in alto mare: irrisolto il nodo referendum". La Nuova Sardegna (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-01-25.
- Madeddu, Davide (2022-03-12). "Sardegna, la Consulta salva la riforma delle Province". Il Sole 24 ORE (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-01-25.
- "Altre 5 Province in Sardegna, iter nel collegato al bilancio - Notizie - Ansa.it". Agenzia ANSA (in Italian). 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
- "Statistiche". Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT). Archived from the original on 7 August 2007. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
- Dyson, Stephen L.; Rowland, Robert J. Jr. (10 December 2007). Archaeology and History in Sardinia from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages: Shepherds, Sailors, and Conquerors. UPenn Museum of Archaeology. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-934536-02-5.
- General Council of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (31 July 2019). "Deliberations of the General Council of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia". Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
External links
- Official website
The province of Sassari Italian provincia di Sassari Sardinian provintzia de Tatari Sassarese prubinzia di Sassari Algherese provincia de Sasser Gallurese pruvincia di Sassari is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia Italy Its capital is the city of Sassari Province of Sassari Provincia di Sassari Italian Provintzia de Tatari Sardinian Prubinzia di Sassari Sassarese ProvincePalazzo Sciuti the provincial seatFlagCoat of armsMap highlighting the location of the province of Sassari in ItalyCountry ItalyRegionSardiniaCapital s SassariComuni92Government Extraordinary commissionerPietro FoisArea Total7 692 km2 2 970 sq mi Population 31 July 2017 Total493 357 Density64 km2 170 sq mi GDP Total 6 315 billion 2015 Per capita 18 884 2015 Time zoneUTC 1 CET Summer DST UTC 2 CEST Postal code07000 07100Telephone prefix079Vehicle registrationSSISTAT090 As of 2017 update the province had a population of 493 357 inhabitants Historical populationYearPop 1951353 582 1961385 319 9 0 1971402 152 4 4 1981438 981 9 2 1991461 061 5 0 2001460 660 0 1 2011478 544 3 9 2021476 516 0 4 Source ISTATHistoryIn ancient times between 1600 and 1500 BC the Nuragic civilization was at its peak in this area During the Roman domination the Logudoro region was one of the main grain suppliers of the Western Roman Empire and was the seat of several legions In the Middle Ages the Logudoro region was the center of one of the four quasi kingdoms in which Sardinia was divided the Giudicato di Torres or Logoduro the first capital being Ardara later replaced by Sassari The numerous countryside Romanesque basilicas date from this period After the conquest by the House of Aragon Logoduro declined but later under the House of Savoy rule as part of the Kingdom of Sardinia it grew in significance In the 20th century the construction of roads and railways brought more prosperity but at the same time destroyed the large forest heritage of the region The Province of Sassari was founded in 1859 even before the unification of Italy in 1861 with an area which until 1927 included the entire head of the island making it the largest province in the country at the time The modern University of Sassari dates to around the same time that the province was created Since 1878 the province has been administered from the Palazzo della Provincia in Sassari In April 2021 Sardinian Regional Council passed Regional Law Nr 7 under which the province s territory was reorganized the western part of the province around Sassari became the new Metropolitan City of Sassari Citta Metropolitana di Sassari consisting of 66 comuni whilst the eastern 26 comuni became part of new Province of Gallura North Eastern Sardinia Provincia della Gallura Nord Est Sardegna roughly corresponding to the old Province of Olbia Tempio Whilst the Italian government challenged the law thus stalling its implementation on March 12 2022 the Constitutional Court ruled in favor of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia On April 13 2023 the regional council at the proposal of the regional government approved an amendment to the 2021 reform defining the timeframe and manner of its implementation which would see its full implementation in 2024 GeographyFacing the Sardinian Sea to the north and west and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the east the Province of Sassari is bordered to the south by the provinces of Nuoro and Oristano It has an area of 7 692 square kilometres 2 970 sq mi and a total population of 493 357 2017 There are 92 comuni municipalities in the province the largest of which are Sassari Olbia Alghero Porto Torres Tempio Pausania Sorso Ozieri Ittiri and Sennori Another town of note Pattada is particularly known for its handmade knives In the province is the only natural lake in Sardinia Lake Baratz and one of the largest artificial lakes Lake Coghinas in the western part which before the re organization of Sardinian provinces formed the boundary with the abolished province of Olbia Tempio In this territory is one of the largest plains in Sardinia Nurra The province contains some of the most famous resorts of Sardinia including Castelsardo Porto Torres Alghero the Riviera del Corallo Stintino and others Stintino is located on the peninsula of the same name running from the Nurra plain to the Asinara Island part of the Asinara National Park Among the notable beaches of the Province of Sassari is Balai in Porto Torres Pelosa Beach in Stintino and others such as Alghero il Lido Maria Pia Bombarde and Mugoni The inner part of the province in the traditional Logoduro region is characterized by a hilly and mountainous landscape with soft volcanic terrains The town of Ozieri is its most important center for culture and history away from the coast noted for its production of tools and pottery from ancient times Administrative divisionsSee also List of municipalities of the Province of Sassari The province includes 92 comuni sg comune The largest by population are Sassari 127 217 inhabitants Olbia 60 181 and Alghero 43 945 GovernmentList of presidents of the province of Sassari President Term start Term end Party1 1952 1956 Christian Democracy2 1956 1961 Christian Democracy3 1961 1964 Christian Democracy4 1964 1970 Christian Democracy5 1970 1974 Christian Democracy6 1974 1975 Christian Democracy7 1975 1980 Italian Communist Party8 1980 1985 Italian Democratic Socialist Party9 1985 1990 Christian Democracy10 1990 1994 Sardinian Action Party11 1994 1995 Democratic Party of the Left12 Pietro Soddu 1995 2000 Italian People s Party13 2000 2005 Forza Italia14 2005 2010 The Daisy Democratic Party2010 2015 Guido Sechi 2015 2019 Special Commissioner Pietro Fois 2019 Incumbent Special CommissionerReferencesRegions and Cities gt Regional Statistics gt Regional Economy gt Regional Gross Domestic Product Small regions TL3 OECD Stats Accessed on 16 November 2018 Population data from ISTAT Sassari Italia it Retrieved 29 September 2014 Simonis Damien 2003 Sardinia Lonely Planet p 83 ISBN 978 1 74059 033 4 A Gazetteer of the World Or Dictionary of Geographical Knowledge A Fullarton 1859 p 444 Barnard Henry 1870 The American journal of education F C Brownell p 198 Legge regionale 12 aprile 2021 n 7 Regional law 7 of April 12 2021 PDF Region of Sardinia in Italian Leggi impugnate dal Governo Consiglio regionale della Sardegna in Italian Retrieved 2025 01 25 Politica nuove Province in alto mare irrisolto il nodo referendum La Nuova Sardegna in Italian Retrieved 2025 01 25 Madeddu Davide 2022 03 12 Sardegna la Consulta salva la riforma delle Province Il Sole 24 ORE in Italian Retrieved 2025 01 25 Altre 5 Province in Sardegna iter nel collegato al bilancio Notizie Ansa it Agenzia ANSA in Italian 2023 04 12 Retrieved 2025 01 25 Statistiche Italian National Institute of Statistics ISTAT Archived from the original on 7 August 2007 Retrieved 29 September 2014 Dyson Stephen L Rowland Robert J Jr 10 December 2007 Archaeology and History in Sardinia from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages Shepherds Sailors and Conquerors UPenn Museum of Archaeology p 36 ISBN 978 1 934536 02 5 General Council of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia 31 July 2019 Deliberations of the General Council of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia Archived from the original on 22 October 2019 Retrieved 21 June 2023 External linksWikimedia Commons has media related to Province of Sassari Official website
