Oristano

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Oristano is a town and commune in Sardinia, Italy, the capital of the province of Oristano. It has some 30,000 inhabitants.

The economy is largely focused on fishing.

History

Oristano was the Byzantine Aristianis, which was founded next to the ancient Phoenician city of Othoca (current Santa Giusta). It became important in 1070, when archbishop Torcotorio moved here the bishopric seat from Tharros, probably due the Saracen attacks. The city was also named as capital of the giudicato ("judiciary", equivalent to a Duchy or Kingdom) of Arborea, and a program of fortification was begun, which was however completed only under judge Mariano II.

In the Middle Ages Oristano was frequently warring against the other Sardinian kingdoms, which culminated in the attempt to conquer the whole island by Mariano IV (reigned 1347-75) and his daughter Eleanor (1475-1404). The giudicato of Arborea was the last Sardinian kingdom to be conquered by the Catalan troops of the Kingdom of Aragon, with the 1478 defeat at Macomer. After that day Oristano followed the history of Sardinia under the Aragonese-Spanis domination (until 1708) and Piedmontese (from 1720), and was then part of the Italy.

Main sights

• The Tower of St. Christophoros, erected in 1291, is the most visible part of the walls of the Giudicato age (it was one of the main gates).
• The Cathedral of St. Mary (1130), rebuilt during the reign of Mariano II after it had been destroyed in a siege. Of the original structure of Mariano only parts of the apse and base of the campanile remain, as well as the Gothic Chapel of the Rimedio, which houses some medieval sculptures. Parts of a more ancient Byzantine edifice can be seen in the court. To the 17th century renovation belongs the Chapel of the Archivietto ("Chapel of the Small Archive"). The current Baroque style is largely from the 19th century restoration. It has been supposed that the Cathedral was used for the sepoltures of the giudici and their families, but the subsequent dominations have deleted all traces of them.

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