- La Maddalena
Infobox CityIT
img_coa = La Maddalena-Crest.png
name=La Maddalena
mapx=41.21
mapy=9.4
region =Sardinia
province = Olbia-Tempio (OT)
elevation_m = 27
area_total_km2 = 49.37
population_as_of =october 31 ,2005
population_total = 11902
population_density_km2 =52.06
timezone = CET, UTC+1
coordinates = coord|41|13|N|09|24|E
frazioni = Moneta, Stagnali
telephone = 0789
postalcode = 07020, 07024
gentilic = Maddalenini
saint = Santa Maria Maddalena
day =july 22
mayor =
website = [http://www.lamaddalena.it/ www.lamaddalena.it]La Maddalena (
Gallurese : "A Madalena") is a town and "comune " located on the island with the same name, in northernSardinia , part of theprovince of Olbia-Tempio .The town
La Maddalena is the largest town in the
Maddalena archipelago , just 2 kilometres from the northeastern shore ofSardinia and sitting in theStraits of Bonifacio , between it andCorsica .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 revolutionaryGiuseppe 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. 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 ofToulon (only leaving his ship to visit church on a Sunday) andBenito Mussolini was held prisoner there 139 years later shortly before he was moved to "Campo Imperatore" on theGran Sasso , where he was famously rescued byOtto Skorzeny .Currently there is a
NATO base on the nearby island of Santo Stefano. The NATO base housed an Italian Navy barracks and served as the home port for severalUS 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 LaMaddalena, 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.The
35th G8 Summit is going to be held in La Maddalena in 2009. [ [http://www.g7.utoronto.ca/whatsnew/2009location.html UofT G8 Information Centre: 2009 Summit Site ] ]Twin towns
*flagicon|FRA
Ajaccio ,France ources
* [http://www.italiantourism.com/island2a.html The Italian Tourist Board]
* [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nelson/gallery7/ The British National Archives]
* [http://www.parks.it/parco.nazionale.arcip.maddalena/Epar.html Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena]
* [http://www.lamadd.navy.mil/history.asp Naval Activity in La Maddalena]
* [http://www.napoleon-series.org/military/battles/c_maddalena.html The Napoleon Series]
* [http://www.lamaddalenapark.it/parco-generale.php3 Arcipelago di La Maddalena National Park]External links
* [http://www.somerset3d.co.uk/logos%20&%20pictures/town%20&%20village%20pages/sardinia/lamaddalena.htm Photos of La Maddalena in 3d (Anaglyphs)]
* [http://www.lamaddalena.com www.lamaddalena.com - Lots of useful infos about La Maddalena]
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