Nurra
Encyclopedia
The Nurra is a geographical region in the northwest of Sardinia
, Italy
. It is the second largest plain of the island, located between the towns of Sassari
, Porto Torres
and Alghero
. It covers a surface of 700 km² and is bounded by the Sardinian Sea on the west and by the Gulf of Asinara
on the north.
Nurra was once an important mining center, with Argentiera
being the principal village, though today it is a ghost town. The Nurra, before the works of land reclamation initiated under Fascism (which were also continued in after World War II
by the ETFAS, Ente Trasformazione Fondiaria Agricola Sarda)), and despite being next to one of the most populated areas of Sardinia, has one of the lowest population densities in Italy
, with 5 inhabitants per km², primarily, due to the drought
and to the presence of malaria
, eliminated only in the 20th century.
family of Genoa, who had acquired it at the extinction of the giudicato family and kept it until the end between the Republic of Genoa
and the Kingdom of Aragon
in the 14th century. This was depopulated the area, and in 1347 many of the villages were reduced to ghost towns, and the remaining ones suffered equally in the subsequent war between Aragon and the Giudicato of Arborea.
In 1391 it was again invaded by Brancaleone Doria. In 1427 it was formally given to the free commune of Sassari, but was still subject to raids from North-African corsairs.
included in the Geological-Mining Park of Sardinia and preserved from UNESCO
.
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[],...
, 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...
. It is the second largest plain of the island, located between the towns of Sassari
Sassari
Sassari is an Italian city. It is the second-largest city of Sardinia in terms of population with about 130,000 inhabitants, or about 300,000 including the greater metropolitan area...
, Porto Torres
Porto Torres
Porto Torres is a comune and city in northern Sardinia, in the Province of Sassari.It is situated on the north coast about 25 km east of the Gorditanian promontory , and on the spacious bay of the Gulf of Asinara.-History:...
and Alghero
Alghero
Alghero , is a town of about 44,000 inhabitants in Italy. It lies in the province of Sassari in northwestern Sardinia, next to the sea.-History:The area of today's Alghero has been settled since pre-historic times...
. It covers a surface of 700 km² and is bounded by the Sardinian Sea on the west and by the Gulf of Asinara
Gulf of Asinara
The Gulf of Asinara is a sea sector included between the Asinara Island, Cape Falcone and the town of Castelsardo, in northern Sardinia, Italy...
on the north.
Nurra was once an important mining center, with Argentiera
Argentiera
Argentiera is a Ghost town and a frazione in the comune of Sassari, in Sardinia, Italy. It is far 43 km from Sassari. It is located in a narrow valley, in front of the Sardinian Sea.-History:...
being the principal village, though today it is a ghost town. The Nurra, before the works of land reclamation initiated under Fascism (which were also continued in after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by the ETFAS, Ente Trasformazione Fondiaria Agricola Sarda)), and despite being next to one of the most populated areas of Sardinia, has one of the lowest population densities in 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...
, with 5 inhabitants per km², primarily, due to the drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
and to the presence of malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, eliminated only in the 20th century.
History
In the Middle Ages Nurra was a curatoria in the Giudicato di Torres, rich with salt mills and silver mines. From the 12th century it was owned by the Branca branch of the DoriaDoria
Doria, originally de Auria , meaning "the sons of Auria", and then de Oria or d'Oria, is the name of an old and extremely wealthy Genoese family who played a major role in the history of the Republic of Genoa and in Italy, from the 12th century to the 16th century.-Origins:According to legend, a...
family of Genoa, who had acquired it at the extinction of the giudicato family and kept it until the end between the Republic of Genoa
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
and the Kingdom of Aragon
Kingdom of Aragon
The Kingdom of Aragon was a medieval and early modern kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain...
in the 14th century. This was depopulated the area, and in 1347 many of the villages were reduced to ghost towns, and the remaining ones suffered equally in the subsequent war between Aragon and the Giudicato of Arborea.
In 1391 it was again invaded by Brancaleone Doria. In 1427 it was formally given to the free commune of Sassari, but was still subject to raids from North-African corsairs.
Heritage
There is an example of industrial archaeologyIndustrial archaeology
Industrial archaeology, like other branches of archaeology, is the study of material culture from the past, but with a focus on industry. Strictly speaking, industrial archaeology includes sites from the earliest times to the most recent...
included in the Geological-Mining Park of Sardinia and preserved from UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
.