Maddalena de' Medici

Infobox Italian comune

name = La Maddalena
official_name = Comune di La Maddalena
native_name =
image_skyline = Lamaddalenatramonto.png
imagesize =
image_alt =
image_caption =
image_shield = La Maddalena-Crest.png
shield_alt =
image_map =
map_alt =
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pushpin_label_position =
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latd = 41 |latm = 13 |lats = |latNS = N
longd = 09 |longm = 24 |longs = |longEW = E
coordinates_type =
coordinates_display = title
coordinates_footnotes =
region = Sardinia
province = Olbia-Tempio (OT)
frazioni = Moneta, Stagnali
mayor_party =
mayor =
area_footnotes =
area_total_km2 = 49.37
population_footnotes =
population_total = 11902
population_as_of = October 31, 2005
pop_density_footnotes =
population_demonym = Maddalenini
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 27
twin1 =
twin1_country =
saint = Santa Maria Maddalena
day = July 22
postal_code = 07020, 07024
area_code = 0789
website =
footnotes =
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.

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''

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.

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.
1767—The Piedmontese occupy the island.
1793—Bombarded by French revolutionary forces under the command of a young Napoleon Bonaparte.
1803 -- Admiral Nelson established a naval base.
1887 -- Regia Marina Italiana (Italian Royal Navy) established a naval base.
1943 -- Benito Mussolini was held prisoner.
1973 -- NATO naval base is created.
2008 -- United States Navy "home port" base is closed.
2009 -- 35th G8 summit was to be held on the island but was diverted to the city of L'Aquila. It is possible that in 2011 the America's Cup will be raced in multi-hulls in La Maddalena, according to http://www.radiosport.co.nz/SportsNews/spyac/Detail.aspx?id=180821 From the early 1970s through 2008, there was a NATO base on the nearby island of Santo Stefano. The NATO base housed an Italian Navy barracks and it 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 US Naval Base officially closed in January 2008, ending the 35 year US presence in La Maddalena. During the period in which the American military had a presence on the island, the most noteworthy event happened in October 25, 2003 when submarine USS ''Hartford'' ran aground with sufficient force to substantially damage its rudders, sonar and electronics. La Maddalena now lends its name to an Italian National Park located in the archipelago. The 35th G8 Summit, chaired by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, was going to be held in La Maddalena in 2009, but then it was moved to L'Aquila.

Twin towns

Ajaccio, France

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

External links

House Holidays
photos of the renowned beach of Cala Francese
The location for the G8 Italy 2009 activist party
www.lamaddalena.com - Lots of useful infos about La Maddalena

References

Maddalena de' Medici

Wiki about Maddalena de' Medici Images directly selected from the Web! Maddalena de' Medici Wiki in our Site, Images Maddalena de' Medici Photos Maddalena de' Medici