Principality of Seborga
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Principality of Seborga Principato di Seborga (Italian) | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
| |
| Motto: "Sub umbra sedi "Seat in the shade" | |
| Anthem: La Speranza | |
| Capital | Seborga |
| Other languages | |
| Demonym(s) | Seborgan, Seborghini |
| Government | Elective monarchy |
• Princess | Nina Menegatto |
| Establishment | 1963 |
| Area | |
• Total | 14 km2 (5.4 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Estimate | 217 (2021) |
| Currency | Luigino |
| IMSO 1 code | SBG |
Website Site web official | |
The Principality of Seborga (Italian: Principato di Seborga, Ligurian: Prinçipâto de Sebórca) simply known as Seborga, is a small comune and self-proclaimed principality, situated in the Imperia Province in Liguria, Italy.
It is one of the most famous micronations in Italy, and probably the most popular one in Liguria.
History
Early ages
Unlike most micronations, Seborga does have an indisputed past as a feudal state, albeit not as a hereditary principality, but an ecclesiastic one which clearly no longer exists: in 954 its territory was ceded by the counts of Ventimiglia to the monks of Lerino, the Cistercian monastery was founded.
In 1079 its abbots were also made Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, temporally in chief of the principality of Seborga.
Modern era
On 20 January 1729 however it was annexed to the Savoy dynasty's kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. Since then it has never been recognized by any state or admitted to an international organisation.
On 23 April 1995 an informal referendum, illegal under Italian law, allegedly voted in favor of "independence" from Italy, which was never recognized by Italy.
In the early 1960s Giorgio Carbone, head of the local flower-growers co-operative, began promoting the idea that Seborga retained its historic independence as a principality, which also calls itself 'the principality of the flowers'. By 1963 the people of Seborga were convinced of these arguments and elected Carbone as their Head of State. Henceforth he was to be known as Giorgio I, Prince of Seborga. In 1995 Seborgans voted, 304 in favor, 4 against, for the Principality's Constitution and its general rules.
These facts do not imply that Seborga is indeed a principality. Some consider these claims as a form of folklore and the Republic of Italy considers and treats Seborga (unlike San Marino or the Vatican City, also enclaved in the peninsula) as an integral part of its own territory.
The argument for Seborga's independent status is that Seborga was an independent Principality until January 20, 1729, when it was sold to Victor Amadeus II, Prince of Piedmont and King of Sardinia. However, it appears the sale was never registered by the Kingdom of Sardinia, letting Seborga fall in a kind of twilight zone. Subsequently, in 1815, the Congress of Vienna overlooked the village in its efforts to redistribute European territories after the Napoleonic Wars, and there is no mention of Seborga in the Act of Unification of Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
Whatever the validity of these claims, it is worth noting that the establishment of statehood doesn't rely only on formal acts. When the princely abbacy ceased to exist, Seborga, if not bought by Piedmont-Sardinia, would have reverted to Ventimiglia (which since 1139 was subordinate to Genoa) or else become terra nullius. The new state of Italy thus either inherited Seborga, as successor state to both Genoa and Piedmont-Sardinia, or annexed it. Seborga thus became an ordinary Italian commune, as the democratically elected mayor explicitly acknowledges.
Moreover, there is no tension between the "Principality" of Seborga and the Italian government. Law enforcement, public health, telecommunications, school services and all other public services are provided as in the rest of Italy. Seborgans regularly pay taxes, participate in the Italian administrative life, and vote in local and national (Italian) elections. For instance, in the elections of the Italian Senate in 2001 the voter turnout was 84.21%.
Symbols
The coat of arms of Seborga are a reference to the Savoia arms, history house of Italy and the Kingdom of Italy. The blazonry in italian is:
D'azzurro, alla croce d'argento.
While in english it is:
Azure, a cross gules
The serborgan crown is similar to the italian one. The shield is surrounded by a red velvet pavilion, similar to many european coats of arms, and it is accompanied by the motto reciting Sub umbra sedi .
List of elected monarchs
| Prince | Name | Mandate |
|---|---|---|
| Giorgio I | Giorgio Carbone | 1963 - 2009 |
| Marcello I | Marcello Menegatto | 2009 - 2019 |
| Nina | Nina Döbler Menegatto | 2019 - incumbent |
Economy, folklore and tourism
Thanks to the publicity as a principality, tourism expanded. The principality's historic town centre was also restored, ensuring that its charms were protected from commercial overdevelopment.
A local currency, the Luigino, was issued from 1994 to 1996. The Luigino is accepted inside the city (along with the legal currency, the Euro, and before that both Italian Lira and French Franc); it is recognized by the International Bank, but without legal value outside the town. Some claim that the Italian government did not welcome this initiative. It is not clear what is the total amount of Luigini issued.
In principle, the Principality does not maintain contact with other micronations. The reason for this is that Seborga does not consider itself a micronation. Nevertheless, Arthur C. de Tourneau of Duckionary and Zar Antonov of Obscurium had a successful meeting with a diplomat from Seborga in Germany in August 2022.
