La Maddalena
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Comune di La Maddalena | |
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 Municipal coat of arms |
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| Country |  Italy |
| Region | Sardinia |
| Province | Olbia-Tempio (OT) |
| Elevation | 27 m (89 ft) |
| Area | 49.37 km² (19 sq mi) |
| Population (as of October 31, 2005) | |
| - Total | 11,902 |
| - Density | 241/km² (624/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET, UTC+1 |
| Coordinates | |
| Gentilic | Maddalenini |
| Dialing code | 0789 |
| Postal code | 07020, 07024 |
| Frazioni | Moneta, Stagnali |
| Patron | Santa Maria Maddalena |
| - Day | July 22 |
| Website: www.lamaddalena.it | |
La Maddalena (Gallurese: A Madalena) is a town and comune located on the island with the same name, in northern Sardinia, part of the province of Olbia-Tempio.
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[edit] The town
La Maddalena is the largest town in the Maddalena archipelago, just 2 kilometres from the northeastern shore of Sardinia and sitting in the Straits of Bonifacio, between it and Corsica.
The focal-point of pedestrian activity is found around Piazza Umberto I (formerly known as Piazza Rossa-the older generation of natives in town still commonly refer to the piazza by its original name). There is an adjacent via (Garibaldi) that connects the port (Banchina Commerciale I) facing the Island of Santo Stefano and Piazza Umberto I with city hall. Via Garibaldi is surrounded by commercial shops, restaurants, and bars.
La Maddalena now derives much of its income from tourism. The only method of traveling to La Maddalena is by boat, with car ferries travelling from nearby Palau and from the Italian mainland.
The natives of La Maddalena speak a Sardo-Corsican dialect known as Maddalenino. A comprehensive survey on the dialect, including a concise history of the island and its people, can be found in Renzo De Martino's Il dizionario maddalenino: Glossario etimologico comparato
[edit] The island
The island of Maddalena is renowned for its beaches; it is characterized by rocky granitic terrain and has some ancient fortifications. Cala Francese and Bassa Trinita are two popular beaches. It is connected by causeway with the nearby island of Caprera, famous as the residence of the Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi.
[edit] History
The Maddalena archipelago, and thus presumably La Maddalena, is known from archaeological evidence to have been occupied in prehistoric times, but its written history begins with the Roman Empire. The islands were the object of a dispute between the Republics of Pisa and Genoa in the 12th century and were later abandoned only to be recolonised by Corsican shepherds and later by the first Sardinian settlers in the 16th century.
La Maddalena has undergone many name changes: the Romans named it Ilva, Fussa and Bucina and in the Middle Ages the island was known as "Bicinara" before being given the name of Santa Maria Magdalena in the 16th century. After this it finally became known as La Maddalena.
Its location in the Strait of Bonifacio, through which much maritime traffic must pass, has turned the archipelago into a strategic military position. As the main town in the islands La Maddalena has borne the brunt of the military action. The Piedmontese occupied it in 1767; in 1793 the town was bombarded by French revolutionary forces under the command of a young Napoleon Bonaparte; Admiral Nelson used it as a base during his 1804 blockade of Toulon (only leaving his ship to visit church on a Sunday) and Benito Mussolini was held prisoner there 139 years later shortly before he was moved to Campo Imperatore on the Gran Sasso, where he was famously rescued by Otto Skorzeny.
Currently there is a NATO base on the nearby island of Santo Stefano. The NATO base housed an Italian Marine barracks and served as the home port for several US Navy submarine tenders over the years, ending with the departure of the USS Emory S. Land, which set sail for its new home port of Bremerton, Washington. The base is scheduled to close by spring 2008, ending the US presence there as the US reprioritizes its worldwide presence.
On 25 October 2003 submarine USS Hartford ran aground near La Maddalena harbour.
La Maddalena now lends its name to an Italian National Park located in the archipelago.
Also the 2009 G8 Summit is going to be held in La Maddalena.[1]
[edit] Twin towns
[edit] Sources
- The Italian Tourist Board
- The British National Archives
- Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena
- Naval Activity in La Maddalena
- The Napoleon Series
- Arcipelago di La Maddalena National Park
[edit] External links
http://www.g7.utoronto.ca/whatsnew/2009location.html
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