Bosa
Origins of the town
As we follow the beautifully panoramic coastal road south away from Alghero, we head towards the picturesque town of Bosa (8,600 inhabitants) located on the west coast of the Planaria region, on the banks of the river Temo – the only navigable river in the whole of Sardinia.
This town, situated at the foot of the Serravalle hill, has roots dating back to ancient times. Evidence of Phoenician presence (a lost epigraph) dates the existence of a first settlement to around the IX century BC. Amongst the various famous sources, we would remember Ptolemy, who explicitly recalls that place name.
Despite the almost constant Saracen invasions, and the consequent collapse of the population, the town was not abandoned and, particularly in urban terms, new input was provided by the Malaspina family who constructed their castle by the same name in 1112, making the most of the dominant, strategically advantageous position provided by the Serravalle hill.
The Malaspina stronghold and the urban works aimed at fortifying the settlement, did not, however, succeed in holding off the expansion of the crown of Aragon, and in 1323 the town fell under the new hegemonic power. |
The castle is the natural point of arrival of the route which takes us from the Sa Costa area of this characteristic mediaeval village, to the bulwark. Within the bulwark, the small church of Regnos Altos, and the fresco paintings within, is well worth seeing.
Local productions, such as the legendary Bosa Malvasia wine, can be appreciated whilst walking along by the river Temo, and absolutely must be tasted: it is not difficult to find characteristic bars serving very high quality products that are famous the world over.
Another skill for which this town is famous, is the women’s weaving of filet, creating elegant and complex works on a grid base (su randadu).
We continue to wander along streets and paths, bordering the banks of the Temo, in a truly unique, fable-like and mysterious atmosphere. Just as we begin to make out the river port, near the mediaeval area, we find the ancient tanneries. As we cross the bridge, we come to the XV century cathedral ‘Cattedrale dell’Immacolata’, which was rearranged in the nineteenth century, according to the Piedmont Baroque influence.
And along the main Corso Vittorio Emanuele II street, we find many beautiful buildings, including the eighteenth century don Carlos.
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