Seborga ( lij, A Seborca) is a small village and self-proclaimed principality in the region of Liguria near the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

border. Administratively, it is a '' comune'' of the Italian province of Imperia. The main economic activities are horticulture and tourism. It is known for being the 'territory' of the self-proclaimed micronation the Principality of Seborga.

Economy

Seborga is known in the region for its agricultural activity: in particular, cultivation and collection of

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

s 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.

Culture

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. The festival includes a procession of citizens and the carrying of a statue of Saint Bernard.

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

In the early 1960s, Giorgio Carbone, then head of the local flower growers'

co-operative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...

, began promoting the idea that Seborga and its surrounding territory should become independent from Italy. Carbone claimed that Seborga had existed as a sovereign state of Italy since 954, and that from 1079 it was a principality of the Holy Roman Empire. According to Carbone's claims, Seborga was not included in the 1861

Italian unification The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of different states of the Italian Peninsula into a single ...

, and that it should be recognised as a sovereign

principality A principality (or sometimes princedom) can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a regnant-monarch with the title of prince and/or princess, or by a monarch with another title considered to fall under ...

. In 1963 the people of Seborga held an informal vote and elected Carbone as their ostensible head of state. He then assumed the self-styled title ''His Tremendousness (Sua Tremendità)'' Giorgio I, Prince of Seborga. Carbone remained in office until his death in 2009. A successor, Marcello Menegatto, was elected in 2010. Menegatto resigned in 2019 from his position, and he was succeeded by his ex-wife, Nina Menegatto, who has styled herself ''Her Serene Highness'' Princess Nina. Supporters of the independence claim promote the Principality with the trappings of a state, including the creation of a flag, minting of coins, the formation of a "border guard" and the installation of sentry boxes on the unofficial border crossing on the main road into Seborga. An official ''Principato di Seborga'' website asserts the historical arguments put forward by Carbone. The independence claims of a "Principality of Seborga" have not been recognised internationally, and Seborga remains officially part of Italy.

References

External links