Sassari is Sardinia's second city and the main centre of the island's north. Its history is layered — Genoese, Pisan, Aragonese, and Spanish rulers each left their mark, and the old town still shows it. The architecture mixes Spanish Gothic townhouses with Italian Baroque churches, all crammed into a maze of narrow alleys that are worth wandering for hours.
The Duomo has a lavish Baroque facade that looks more Spanish than Italian. The Fontana del Rosello at the bottom of the steps on Corso Trinità is a fine piece of late Renaissance sculpture, fed by natural springs. The Museo Nazionale Sanna in the newer part of town has a strong archaeological collection, including Nuragic bronzes and Roman artefacts from across northern Sardinia.
The city is not a tourist destination in the usual sense — most visitors to Sardinia head for the coast — but Sassari has a liveliness and self-sufficiency that the resort towns lack. It is a university city, and the evening passeggiata along Corso Vittorio Emanuele II is one of the better people-watching experiences on the island. The Cavalcata Sarda in May and the Discesa dei Candelieri in August are among the most spectacular folk events in Sardinia.