Bosa, Italy
Encyclopedia
Bosa is a town and comune
in the province of Oristano
(until May 2005 it was in the province of Nuoro
), part of the Sardinia
region of Italy
. Bosa is situated about two-thirds of the way up the west coast of Sardinia, on a small hill, about 3 kilometers inland on the north bank of the Temo River. The town has maintained a population of around 8,000 people for a significant amount of time, but has an urban character that has differentiated it from other locations in Sardinia. Agriculture
and fishing
play an important part in the city economy, thanks to the river valley near the coast surrounded by hills and highland plateau
s.
and nuraghe
. It was probably founded by the Phoenicians, although little is known about the original settlement. Under the Romans
it was a municipium
. In the early Middle Ages
, as part of the giudicato of Logudoro, it was a provincial capital. After the construction of the Malaspina Castle, the population gradually moved from the seaside to the hills.
It remained in the hands of the Malaspina family until the 14th century when it was taken over by the Aragon
. As the rest of Sardinia, it was later ruled by Spain via royal marriage. For a short period in between it was a part of the independent Kingdom of Arborea (giudicato of Arborea).
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
in the province of Oristano
Province of Oristano
Oristano is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia in Italy. Its capital is the city of Oristano.It has an area of 3,040 km², and a total population of 167,971 . There are 88 municipalities in the province ). As of June 2005, the main communes by population are:-Politics:-External...
(until May 2005 it was in the province of Nuoro
Province of Nuoro
The Province of Nuoro is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia, Italy. Its capital is the city of Nuoro.It has an area of 3,934 km², and a total population of 161,444. The province is divided into 52 comuni, the largest of which are Nuoro , Siniscola , Macomer , and Dorgali...
), part of the Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
region of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Bosa is situated about two-thirds of the way up the west coast of Sardinia, on a small hill, about 3 kilometers inland on the north bank of the Temo River. The town has maintained a population of around 8,000 people for a significant amount of time, but has an urban character that has differentiated it from other locations in Sardinia. Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
play an important part in the city economy, thanks to the river valley near the coast surrounded by hills and highland plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
s.
History
The area was inhabited since prehistorical times, as attested by the presence of seveal domus de janasDomus de Janas
Domus de Janas are a type of pre-historic chamber tombs found in the Mediterranean area, but typically in Sardinia. They consist of several chambers quarried out by the Ozieri and Beaker cultures, resembling houses in their layout.Built between 3400 and 2700 BC, more than 1000 of the rock-cut...
and nuraghe
Nuraghe
The nuraghe is the main type of ancient megalithic edifice found in Sardinia. Today it has come to be the symbol of Sardinia and its distinctive culture, the Nuragic civilization...
. It was probably founded by the Phoenicians, although little is known about the original settlement. Under the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
it was a municipium
Municipium
Municipium , the prototype of English municipality, was the Latin term for a town or city. Etymologically the municipium was a social contract between municipes, the "duty holders," or citizens of the town. The duties, or munera, were a communal obligation assumed by the municipes in exchange for...
. In the early Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, as part of the giudicato of Logudoro, it was a provincial capital. After the construction of the Malaspina Castle, the population gradually moved from the seaside to the hills.
It remained in the hands of the Malaspina family until the 14th century when it was taken over by the Aragon
House of Aragon
The House of Aragon is the name given several royal houses that ruled the County, the Kingdom or the Crown of Aragon.Some historiansGuillermo Fatás y Guillermo Redondo, Alberto Montaner Frutos, Faustino Menéndez Pidal de Navascués...
. As the rest of Sardinia, it was later ruled by Spain via royal marriage. For a short period in between it was a part of the independent Kingdom of Arborea (giudicato of Arborea).