Seborga

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Seborga
Comune
Comune di Seborga
Seborga
Seborga
Seborga is located in Italy
Seborga
Seborga
Location of Seborga in Italy
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Country Italy
Region Liguria
Province / Metropolitan city Imperia (IM)
Government
 • Mayor Enrico Ilariuzzi
Area
 • Total 4.91 km2 (1.90 sq mi)
Elevation 500 m (1,600 ft)
Population (31 December 2008)[1]
 • Total 316
 • Density 64/km2 (170/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Seborghini
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 18012
Dialing code 0184
Patron saint San Bernardo
Saint day 20 August
Website Official website

Seborga is a small town in the region of Liguria in northwest Italy, near the French border. Administratively, it is a comune of the Italian province of Imperia. The main economic activities are horticulture and tourism.

The town is notable for claims of independence from Italy as the sovereign Principality of Seborga.

Economy and culture

Seborga is known in the region for its agricultural activity: in particular, cultivation and collection of olives and floriculture crops. Thanks to Seborga's publicity as a principality, tourism has expanded in recent years. The principality's historic town centre was also restored, ensuring that its charms were protected from commercial overdevelopment.

An important cultural event in Seborga is the annual festival of Saint Bernard, the town's patron saint, held on August 20. Seborga's twin city is L'Escarène, France.

Transport

Seborga is situated along Provincial Road 57 in Imperia. The nearest motorway access is at the Bordighera exit on the A10. The nearest railway station is also the one in Bordighera, on the Ventimiglia-Genoa line.

Principality of Seborga

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Main article: Principality of Seborga

In the early 1960s, Giorgio Carbone, then head of the local flower-growers co-operative, began promoting the idea that Seborga retained its historic independence as a principality. By 1963 the people of Seborga were sufficiently convinced of these arguments to elect Carbone as their ostensible head of state. He then assumed the self-styled title Giorgio I, Prince of Seborga, which he claimed thereafter.[2]

Carbone's status as prince (although without any legal power) was further supported by locals on 23 April 1995, when, in an informal referendum, Seborgans voted 304 in favour, 4 against, for the principality's constitution, and in favour of independence from Italy.[3] Carbone reigned until his death on 25 November 2009.[4] The prince was known locally as Sua Tremendità ('His Tremendousness').[5]

The Republic of Italy and international institutions consider and treat Seborga as an integral part of the territory of Italy. Law enforcement, public health, telecommunications, school services and all other public services are provided as in the rest of Italy. Seborgans regularly pay taxes, participate in the Italian administrative life, and vote in local and national (Italian) elections. For instance, in the elections of the Senate in 2001 the voter turnout was 84.21%.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ All demographics and other statistics from the Italian statistical institute (Istat)
  2. ↑ "Prince of Seborga fights on for 362 subjects", Italy Magazine, 15 June 2006
  3. ↑ "Noel Gallagher is my choice for monarch", Caitlin Moran, The Times, 30 January 2006
  4. ↑ Obituary: 'His Tremendousness Giorgio Carbone', Daily Telegraph, 27 November 2009.
  5. ↑ "Battle rages for His Tremendousness's throne", Malcolm Moore, Daily Telegraph, 13 June 2006

External links

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