Pontecorvo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Comune di Pontecorvo | |
|---|---|
 Municipal coat of arms |
|
| Country |  Italy |
| Region | Lazio |
| Province | Frosinone (FR) |
| Mayor | Riccardo Roscia |
| Elevation | 97 m |
| Area | 88 km² |
| Population | |
| - Total (as of December 31, 2004) | 13,230 |
| - Density | 151/km² |
| Time zone | CET, UTC+1 |
| Coordinates | |
| Gentilic | |
| Dialing code | 0776 |
| Postal code | 03037 |
| Frazioni | Sant'Oliva |
| Website: www.comune.pontecorvo.fr.it | |
Pontecorvo is a town in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, Italy. Its population is 13,400.
[edit] History
Although in the middle of the Kingdom of Naples, the town was an enclave of the Papal States from 1463 until captured by the French army in the Napoleonic Wars. After having been proclaimed King of Italy in 1805, Napoleon created Ponte Corvo a principality for his General Jean Baptiste Bernadotte. The principality was nominally sovereign, but the Prince did have to take an oath to the King. It was shortlived however, and in 1815 the town was ceded back to the Papal States. In 1860 it joined Benevento, the other southern Italian papal enclave, in being united with the new Kingdom of Italy.
The town was destroyed during World War II, and rebuilt in a modern style.
[edit] Princes of Pontecorvo
- 1806-1810 : Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte (who exchanged the lands of Ponte Corvo after becoming Crown Prince of Sweden to basically other properties, later called as Guadaloupe Fund, but never relinquishing the Princely title that belongs to the House of Bernadotte)
- 1812-1815 : Lucien Murat (son of Joachim Murat, King of Naples)
The descendants of Lucien Murat still use the title for the heir to the Prince Murat, and it is currently held by Prince Joachim. Also, since Bernadotte's accession as King of Sweden in 1818, the arms of Ponte Corvo are a part of the Swedish Greater Coat of Arms.
In 1879, the Napoleon-created Dukedom of Galliera (granted originally in favor of Josefina, the eldest child of his adopted son Eugene, and her heirs male) became united to Bernadottean princely title.
Because Sweden altered its order of succession in 1980, in the next generation, the rights to the fideicommisses of Bernadottean Ponte Corvo and Galliera will diverge from the Swedish throne. Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland will become, upon the death of king Charles XVI of Sweden, the holder of Guadaloupe fideicommiss and Galliera fideicommiss, being entitled to hereditary titles of Duke of Galliera and Prince of Ponte Corvo and/or Guadaloupe, in addition to his personal, non-hereditary Swedish title of Duke of Värmland.
[edit] External links
