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Alghero is a town of about 44,000 inhabitants in Italy. It lies in the province of Sassari in northwestern Sardinia, next to the Mediterranean Sea.
Catalan language in Alghero[]
Italian is the official language spoken in Alghero. A small proportion of people in Alghero speak a Catalan dialect, introduced when Catalan invaders repopulated the town after capturing the city from the Genoese in 1353 and subsequently expelling the indigenous population. Catalan was replaced as the official language by Spanish in the 17th century, then by Italian. The most recent linguistic research conducted showed that 22.4% of the population speak Algherese as a first language and around 90% have some understanding of the language. Currently, there has been a revival of the arts in Algherese, with singers such as Franca Masu performing original compositions in the language.
It is noted, however, that after the rural exodus of the surrounding villages towards the city, much of the population speaks or has some proficiency in Sardinian as well, in addition to Italian and Catalan. Historically, moreover, the spread of Catalan was limited to the city "Intra Moenia" and part of the coast, given that the countryside has always been highly frequented by the Sardinian speaking-community (as evidenced by the place names: Sa Segada, Pala Pirastru, etc.).