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Aulla is a ''
In 1977, the Italian geologist Augusto Azzaroli discovered a series of mammal rests with a correlated
Traces of Roman Empire">Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
and Etruscan civilizations found in the church of the Abbey of San Caprasio, Aulla, Abbey of San Caprasio indicate that there were settlements in Aulla long before the 8th century CE, when margrave Adalbert I of Tuscany founded a village and built a castle to accommodate pilgrims traveling the comune
The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...
'' in the province of Massa and Carrara
The province of Massa-Carrara ( it, provincia di Massa-Carrara) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Tuscany region of central Italy. It is named after the provincial capital Massa, Tuscany, Massa, and Carrara, the other main town in the prov ...
, Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze'').
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
, central Italy. It is located in the valley of the River Magra.
Geology
In 1977, the Italian geologist Augusto Azzaroli discovered a series of mammal rests with a correlated fauna
Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...
in the adjacent locality of Olivola. The so-called Olivola Conglomerates dated back to the late Villafranchian
Villafranchian age ( ) is a period of geologic time (3.5–1.0 Ma) spanning the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene used more specifically with European Land Mammal Ages. Named by Italian geologist Lorenzo Pareto for a sequence of terrestrial s ...
age (1.0 to 3.5 million years ago).
In the following year, a first level of continental sedimentary remains was found at a depth of 250 metres, with the following archaic tree species: ''Taxodium
''Taxodium'' is a genus of one to three species (depending on taxonomic opinion) of extremely flood-tolerant conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. The generic name is derived from the Latin word ''taxus'', meaning " yew", and the Greek ...
'', ''Sequoia'', ''Magnolia
''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendro ...
'', '' Symplocos'' and '' Sapotaceae''. In Europe, these species are usually dated to the pre-Pleistocene
The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...
(over 2.5 million years ago).
Their presence confirmed the hypothesis of a temperate to warm climate.
Deer
Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...
fossils have also been found in Aulla, from the '' Procaproleus causanus'' and ''Pseudodama
''Pseudodama'' is an extinct species of deer found in Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is al ...
pardinensis lyra'' species which in the Western Europe "are characteristic of the mammal assemblages of the Early Villafranchian
Villafranchian age ( ) is a period of geologic time (3.5–1.0 Ma) spanning the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene used more specifically with European Land Mammal Ages. Named by Italian geologist Lorenzo Pareto for a sequence of terrestrial s ...
age are relatively common in Italy.
History
Traces of Roman Empire">Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...via Francigena The Via Francigena () is an ancient road and pilgrimage route running from the cathedral city of Canterbury in England, through France and Switzerland, to Rome and then to Apulia, Italy, where there were ports of embarkation for the Holy Land. It w ...
. Here, at ''Aguilla'' Sigeric, Archbishop of Canterbury, sojourned on his return journey from Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
about 990. The Malaspina family wrested feudal power of the city and its ''contada'' from the domination of the bishops and dukes of Luni. In 1543 the Centurione family purchased it. They built the , which was bought in the early 20th century by Aubrey
Aubrey is traditionally a male English given name. The name is from the French derivation Aubry of the Germanic given name Alberic / Old High German given name Alberich, which consists of the elements ALF "elf" and RIK "king", from Proto-Germani ...
and Lina Waterfield
Caroline Lucie 'Lina' Waterfield OBE (16 August 1874 – 27 November 1964)Lunigiana
The Lunigiana () is a historical territory of Italy, which today falls within the provinces of Massa Carrara, Tuscany, and La Spezia, Liguria. Its borders derive from the ancient Roman settlement, later the medieval diocese of Luni, which no longe ...
region.
One of the most important buildings of the town is the Abbey of San Caprasio that was founded in the 9th century and named after Saint Caprasius of Lérins
Saint Caprasius, sometimes Caprasius of Lérins ( fr , Caprais; died 430), was a hermit who lived in Lérins, Provence.
Caprasius was born sometime in the fourth century in Gaul. He came from a rich and distinguished family, but gave up great ...
, whose body was transferred to Aulla in the 10th century.
In 1943, the historic center of Aulla was destroyed by Anglo-American bombings aimed at German troops stationed there during the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. By the end of the war large sections of the city were obliterated by Anglo-American bombings which sought to destroy the town's key railroad network and gunpowder manufacturing plant. A replica of an unexploded bomb is preserved in the former abbey of San Caprasio, which is now a museum.
In April 1945 the 442nd Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 442nd Infantry Regiment ( ja, 第442歩兵連隊) was an infantry regiment of the United States Army. The regiment is best known as the most decorated in U.S. military history and as a fighting unit composed almost entirely of second-gene ...
, aided by a significantly strong Italian partisan fighting force, liberated the city of Aulla, after fierce battles with retreating German troops.
On 8 April 2020, a 260 metre long road bridge at Albiano Magra near Aulla collapsed into the River Magra. The traffic on the bridge was unusually light due to the coronavirus lockdown
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of non-pharmaceutical interventions colloquially known as lockdowns (encompassing stay-at-home orders, curfews, quarantines, and similar societal restrictions) have been implemented in numerous countrie ...
then in force, and the collapse resulted in only minor injuries to two casualties.
Sister cities
*Villerupt
Villerupt (; lb, Weller) is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.
A festival takes place in the commune each year in October-November.
Population
Notable people from Villerupt
* Aurélie Filippetti
* Olivi ...
, France
References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control