ORISTANO city guide

Oristano is a town and commune in Sardinia, Italy, the capital of the province of Oristano. It has some 30,000 inhabitants.

The economy is largely focused on fishing.

It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oristano.

History

Oristano was the Byzantine Aristianis, which was founded next to the ancient Phoenician city of Othoca (current Santa Giusta). It became important in 1070, when archbishop Torcotorio moved here the bishopric seat from Tharros, probably due the Saracen attacks. The city was also named as capital of the giudicato ("judiciary", equivalent to a Duchy or Kingdom) of Arborea, and a program of fortification was begun, which was however completed only under judge Mariano II.

In the Middle Ages Oristano was frequently warring against the other Sardinian kingdoms, which culminated in the attempt to conquer the whole island by Mariano IV (reigned 1347-75) and his daughter Eleanor (1375-1404). The giudicato of Arborea was the last Sardinian kingdom to be conquered by the Catalan troops of the Kingdom of Aragon, with the 1478 defeat at Macomer. After that day Oristano followed the history of Sardinia under the Aragonese-Spanish domination (until 1708) and Piedmontese (from 1720), and was then part of the Italy.

Main sights

• The Tower of St. Christophoros, erected in 1291, is the most visible part of the walls of the Giudicato age (it was one of the main gates).
• The Cathedral of St. Mary (1130), rebuilt during the reign of Mariano

Of the hundreds of Italian cities, here are nine of its most famous:

• Rome City Guide - (Roma):
  The capital, both of Italy and of the ancient Roman Empire; center of the Roman Catholic Church (the Vatican).
• Bologna City Guide
  A major trade fair city.
• Florence City Guide - (Firenze):
  History, art, architecture. Uffizi gallery, David of Michelangelo Buonarroti.
• Genoa City Guide - (Genova)
  A vibrant and historical port city, birth place of Columbus.
• Milan City Guide - (Milano)
  Shares with Paris the title of fashion capital of the world and is the main financial and business center in the country.
• Naples City Guide - (Napoli)
  With its famous gulf and Vesuvius volcano, including Herculaneum and Pompeii.
• Pisa City Guide
  Home of the famous Leaning Tower.
• Venice City Guide - (Venezia)
  History, art. Saint Mark's Square. The city is built on a lagoon, filled with canals, with no roads for cars. Very poetic and romantic.
• Verona City Guide
  A restored Roman coliseum is the stage for modern opera productions. Verona is the city where Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is based.