Monfalcone
| Monfalcone | ||
|---|---|---|
| Comune | ||
| Comune di Monfalcone | ||
 | ||
| ||
  Monfalcone Location of Monfalcone in Italy | ||
| Coordinates: 45°48′N 13°32′E / 45.800°N 13.533°E | ||
| Country | Italy | |
| Region | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | |
| Province | Gorizia (GO) | |
| Frazioni | Archi, Aris, Bagni, Cima di Pietrarossa, Crosera, La Rocca, Lisert, Marina Julia, Marina Nova, Panzano, Pietrarossa, San Polo, Schiavetti, Serraglio, Via Romana-Solvay | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Silvia Altran | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 20 km2 (8 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 7 m (23 ft) | |
| Population (2009) | ||
| • Total | 28,101 | |
| • Density | 1,400/km2 (3,600/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Monfalconesi | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Postal code | 34074 | |
| Dialing code | 0481 | |
| Patron saint | St. Ambrose | |
| Saint day | November 21 | |
| Website | Official website | |
Monfalcone [moɱfalˈkoːne] (in the local Bisiac dialect: Mofalcòn, Slovene: Tržič, German: Falkenberg) is a town and comune of the province of Gorizia (Friuli-Venezia Giulia, northern Italy), located on the coast of the Gulf of Trieste. Monfalcone means "Mount of Falcon" in Italian.
It is a major industrial centre for manufacturing ships, airplanes, textiles, chemicals and refined oil. It is the home of Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani.
Geography
Monfalcone is the fifth most populous town in Friuli - Venezia Giulia and the main centre of Bisiacaria territory. Joined to its neighbourhoods, it reaches about 50,000 inhabitants. The town lies between the Carso hills and the Adriatic Sea, being the northernmost port of the Mediterranean Sea.
History
In prehistoric times the area of Monfalcone housed several fortified villages called castellieri. After the foundation of the Roman city of Aquileia (181 BC), some thermal buildings were created on the hills, known as Insulae Clarae.
After the Ostrogoth, Byzantine, Lombard and Frank domination, Monfalcone was controlled by the Patriarch of Aquileia starting from 967. The Venetians conquered it in 1420 after three days of siege, keeping it until 1511, when it fell to the French. Conquered back by Venice, it was ravaged by the troops of emperor Maximilian I in 1513, who destroyed the Rocca. In 1521 it was returned to Venice, under which it remained until 1797. It was controlled by France until the fall of Napoleon, after which it became part of the Austrian Empire.
During World War I, the town was captured by Italy in 1915. It was briefly recaptured by Austria in 1917, after the battle of Caporetto. Monfalcone returned to Italy in 1918.
Main sights
- Rocca (Castle). Of medieval origin (according to a legend, it was founded by Theoderic the Great, King of the Ostrogoths), its current appearance dates to the Venetian restorations in the early 16th century. The interior houses a speleology exhibition.
- Park of World War I
- Karst (Carso) area
- Cathedral of Sant'Ambrogio
Transport
Monfalcone railway station, opened in 1860, is a junction between the Venice–Trieste railway and the Udine–Trieste railway.
People
- Enrico Toti
- Antonio Sant'Elia
- Elisa
- Gino Paoli
- Paolo Rossi, actor
- Stefano Zoff
- Filippo Zappata
- Mo-Do (Fabio Frittelli)
- Mirko Gruden, footballer
- Massimiliano Versace, scientist
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
Monfalcone is twinned with:
Neumarkt in Steiermark, Austria
Gallipoli, Italy
Karadeniz Ereğli, Turkey- Zonguldak, Turkey
External links
- Official website (Italian)
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Monfalcone. |