The Faita Brent’e Monza bean

Alghero, the fifth-largest city in Sardinia with around 44,000 inhabitants, is one of the main gateways to the island thanks to Fertilia Airport. Overlooking the intensely colored sea, it charms visitors with its historic center surrounded by bastions, red rooftops, and panoramic seaside promenades. The coastline, about 90 km long and known as the Riviera del Corallo, hosts the most important colony of precious coral in the Mediterranean and beautiful beaches such as Le Bombarde, Lazzaretto, Mugoni, Lido di San Giovanni, and the Maria Pia dunes. Much of the coast is part of the Capo Caccia – Isola Piana Marine Protected Area, home to the famous Neptune’s Grotto.

The surrounding territory is enriched by the Porto Conte Park, an oasis of Mediterranean scrub, forests, and lagoons, as well as numerous archaeological sites, including domus de janas, necropolises, and nuraghi. The historic center retains a strong Catalan imprint, visible in its walls and religious buildings, such as Santa Maria Cathedral and the churches of San Michele and del Carmelo. The city is also a vibrant cultural hub, with sites like Casa Manno, the Coral Museum, and cherished traditions including the Catalan New Year and Holy Week rituals.

Alghero is home to important custodians of local agricultural and livestock biodiversity: Angelo Murineddu, custodian of the Sardinian pig, and Monica Carboni, who preserves various traditional varieties such as the Arrubia almond, Appiu apple, Faita Brent’e Monza bean, Cossu almond, Camusina pear of Sassari, Niedda almond, Pompìa citrus, and Seba Mitja Vermella onion, contributing to the safeguarding of a precious heritage that defines the identity of the territory.