At least until about 1977 there was a US Naval base there. We were always hoping to be transferred there. Friends went in 1977 so I know it was still there at that time. Having been to a town, Dunoon, Scotland, where there were, until around 1990 when the sub based closed after 30 years, lots of Navy people, they have a profound influence e.g. marrying local girls, influencing the food, etc. So, it’s not like the island is untouched by Western influences.
Yes, it is closer in relations to Spanish than Italian, but Catalan is a bit closer to the Gallo-Romance branch of the Romance Languages, and is a Langue D’oc along with Provençal (Occitan). But actual relations if it’s more langue d’oc, or more like an ibero-romance language are in dispute, but Catalan has crept more towards Castillian due to proximity and circumstance of mostly being in Spain.
Catalan on Sardinia is spoken in the city and region of L’Alguer (Alghero). Residents speak an older dialect of Catalan, due to Catalonian invaders kicking out the locals in 1372. It is a bit different from Spanish Catalan (which is spoken in parts of southern France (Rousillon), the Spanish east coast, Andorra, and the Balearic Isles.
It also became a part of Spain when Ferran II of Aragon married Isabel of Castille.
From the “Let’s Go” guide to Italy:
Like its terrain, Sardinia’s cuisine is rustic and rugged. Hearty dishes like safregula (pasta on broth with saffron), malloreddus (shell-shaped pasta), culturagiones (ravioli stuffed with cheese, beets, tomato sauce, lamb, and sausage), and pane frattau (thin bread covered with eggs, cheese and tomato sauce) frequent the island’s menus. Celebrated dishes include cardo (lamb entrails), pork cooked in lamb’s stomach, and grilled pig, horse, donkey, and goat. The infamous product of Sardinian shepherds, casu fatizzu (cheese with worms [poster’s note: that’s nummy num-num cheese with worms to you]) and savory pecorino (sheep’s milk cheese) are considered delicacies. Local wines are often sweet and strong. Try vernaccia d’uva (for its almond aftertaste) with fish or the robust cannonau di Sardgen with red meat.
Gee, I guess half of what I knew about Sardinia (the half about the Westerns being filmed there) was wrong.
Slightly off subject, but if you’re going to Sardinia, there’s weekly ferry service to Palmero in Sicily. Palermo has outstanding catacombs. Architecturally, they’re not much but if you want to seen a basement locker room stacked literally to the ceiling with human remains in various stages of decay, you really can’t beat it. Sort of like marionnettes only bigger and with a really bad case of anorexia nervosa. When I showed up a French woman tastefully brought her dog. I don’t know which was weirder: the fact that she would bring her dog or the fact that the friars who control the joint let her in with it.
My ferry from Palermo to Naples was kept company for a time by a leaping dolphin. That was neat.
While the Kingdom of Sardinia was the nuculeus (sp?) of a united Italy, the power from it resided on the mainland not the Island of Sardinia. The Piedmont was always the power behind the Kingdom of Sardinia. Many historians referred to it as Piedmont-Sardinia.
Sardinia was not part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
Perhaps it’s not for me to say one way or the other, but I’ve never once dated a woman who was impressed by my knowledge of WWII naval strategy.
Does anybody else have any knowledge about Sardinia that would be good “date” conversation? I’m sure that’s what the OP is looking for.
I caught an overnight ferry from Civitavecchia to Sardinia in the early 90’s. The ferrys seem to be purposely overbooked so you just take your sleeping bag & sleep on the deck under the stars. Right around morning you arrive at Sardinia.
I can see why you could film westerns there, the terrain seemed similar to lots of the terrain here in California. The buildings have a more Mediterranean look & feel though. The lattes were so-so.
There was still a sub base there when I visited. I least I think it was a sub base. Something to do with “repair or maintenance?” Yeah, right. We were in the north, by La Maddalena I think & caught another ferry north. Kept hopping from island to island & when it seemed we were running out of islands to hop to & looking for something to eat, we stumbled onto an American base. Small, & the guys at the gate weren’t terribly forthcoming about the place even though we were active duty military too. They acted like they weren’t sure they should even let us on base, but did. We grabbed some cheap wine coolers & greasy burgers at the tiny little shoppette & left. It’s amazing how the US military can take a preemo picturesque little spot & turn it into an uninviting desolate looking shit hole in the middle of nowhere. We were glad to get back off base.
We camped at the beach, clothing optional. Nice facilities, great weather. The locals didn’t strike me as outgoing by any means, but friendly enough. More laid back & calm than your mainland Italians are. Maybe even a bit more reserved or conservative? It didn’t strike me as an economically prosperous place. Not very modern, but maybe that’s on purpose?