The banks of the Temo River in Bosa, Sardinia. The Malaspina Castle is on the hill (above left).
Driving south from Alghero on the northwest coast of Sardinia, it’s a scenic hour-long drive south to the ancient town of Bosa. On a fine sunny April morning, with tapestries of wildflowers cascading down the mountains to the Mediterranean Sea, you might think you were in Paradise.
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- L’Unione Sarda, founded in 1889, is “the” daily newspaper for the island.
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- Piazza Constituzione
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- Gallette di Bosa are crisp hollow bread rolls.
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- Inside the castle walls is the Nostra Signora de sos Regnos Altos Church (14th-15th century), embellished with Spanish frescoes.
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- A detail from the entrance to the Malaspina Castle.
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- A pastoral view from Serravalle Hill.
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- Color splashed are everywhere in Bosa.
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- This sweet travel agency can probably get you to the wild blue yonder.
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- The clever sign on this dressmaker’s shop is fashioned from buttons.
Two Waterways
The old town of Bosa has two water outlets: the sea port and the Temo River which is said to be the only navigable river on the island.
The residents appreciate color as the rose, green, yellow and blue facades attest.
Some civic-minded creative type has inspired everyone to paint large used tin cans to use for hanging flowerpots.
View of Bosa from Castello Malaspina.
Power on the Hill
High above the civic bustle on the Serravalle Hill is a castle built in 1112 by the noble Tuscan Malaspina dello Spino Secco family, who settled on the Island in the middle of the 11th century.
It’s a steep hike up to the castle but you can stop halfway down and savor a fine lunch on the tucked away sidewalk terrace at Ristorante Borgo Sant’Ignazio.
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