If you come to Sardinia from a northern European port this is your first large town – second largest in Sardinia, in fact. The area was at the centre of early touristic developments before the Costa Smeralda was dreamed of. This north-west corner of the island, Alghero especially, has its share of visitors and Sassari has responded by encouraging traditional crafts and permanent arts exhibitions.

In other ways Sassari has more the air of a mainland town (its Piazza Italia is the only one in Sardinia). It was caught up in the medieval squabbles of the maritime republics and was allied with Pisa, then with Genoa. While under French influence it almost succeeded in importing the 1789 revolution. All this is reflected in the minglings of building styles round the city’s hub.

The cathedral is an architectural goulash, based on 14thC foundations. The Sanna Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography has collections worthy of the region’s antiquities and the Pinacoteca exhibits a wide range of Italian and Sardinian artists. The city’s grand emblem is the Rosello Fountain, below Rosello Bridge as you exit for Castelsardo. It is late Renaissance, made by Genoese craftsmen and has an equestrian statue, several large masks and dolphins and symbols of the seasons. Another extraordinary blend of old styles, this time in chequered stonework, is the Saccargia basilica and separate bell-tower, set amid olives and citrus groves 16 km south-east of town on Route 597.