SHARRYLAND
Where is
What it is and where it is
We drive from Sasso di Bordighera, through the road that squeezes around the steep hillsides of the immediate Ligurian hinterland, until we see a huge blue and white coat of arms painted on the roadway: we have entered the Principality of Seborga. And we see it, all gathered on the lace of a hill with its seventeenth-century bell tower towering above the other buildings and welcoming us with the sound of its bells. All around us, a vast landscape stretching from the Ligurian Alps in the north to the sea in the south.
Why it is special
As much as it may appear to your eyes as a typical medieval inland Ligurian village, there are substantial elements that might lead you to think otherwise. At the entrance to the village we immediately stumble upon a commemorative plaque, placed on the facade of the house where old Prince Giorgio Carbone (1936-2009) lived. With each step we dive deeper into this "world," with its own system of government, a Privy Council, flag, anthem, guards and even its own currency, the luigino ... All ingredients that would make Seborga a real state.
Not to be missed
Get into the spirit of Medieval Seborga with the evocative historical re-enactment during the feast dedicated to St. Bernard of Clairvaux on August 20. After the Solemn Holy Mass, watch the magnificent parade of the costumed procession through the streets of the village. As night falls, flashlights illuminate the faces of the Seborghini, who proudly display all their historical and cultural heritage, accompanied, of course, by their food and wine. Finally, the noble meeting with the "prince" of Seborga, while music and dancing will continue into the night.
A bit of history
If you ask a Seborghino "why do you declare yourselves independent?" they will answer "because we have never ceased to be." An independent state as early as 954 and a principality since 1079, the current government states, "In 1792 it was sold by the monks to Victor Amadeus II of Savoy, but: the deed of sale was never recorded; however, it provided that Seborga would become the personal property of the king without being annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia. Therefore, the annexation, in 1861, to the Kingdom of Italy and, in 1946, to the Italian Republic is to be considered unilateral and illegitimate."
Trivia
For the first time in history, it is a woman who has been invested with the powers of Princess of Seborga. Nina Menegatto, born in Kempten, Germany, in 1978, has always been an ardent supporter of the Principality, so much so that she was elected Privy Councillor twice, from 2010 to 2019. Following the abdication of Prince Marcellus I of Seborga on October 2, 2019, she was elected with 63.87 percent of the vote, in an all-female race with opponent Laura Di Bisceglie.
Piazza San Martino, with the characteristic circular design made in mosaic amid the village's most characteristic buildings - Ph: Luigiandrea Luppino © Source
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