Piazza Civica is the principal square of the old town, just inside the main land gate and a few steps from the harbour. The east side is dominated by the Palazzo d'Albis, a 16th-century Catalan Gothic palace with a tracery window and stone balcony from which, locally, Emperor Charles V was supposed to have addressed Algherese citizens in 1541 — the source of the city's nickname "Bonita y Bien Asentada", or "pretty and well-placed."
The piazza is busy day and night. Cafés and gelaterias line the edges, including the well-known Caffè Costantino, and an artisan jewellery market sets up most evenings in summer. The Bishop's Palace, on a side alley off the square, is occasionally open for guided tours including the chapel and the underground cisterns. This is the natural starting point for an old-town walk.