Sport: Seborga on the soccer field with “Mihailovca-Seborga 2005”.

A new reality in football is making its way in the landscape of the Republic of Moldova: an Italian-Moldovan team.

For the Republic of the former Soviet Union this is an absolute novelty: from this month the small municipality of Mihailovca can boast its own football team: the “Mihailovca Seborga-2005” (see photo).
The idea came from the “Seborga in the World Association” of the Principality of Seborga which - after having created a football field in the village with the collaboration of the local youth and the volunteers of the emergency service of Seborga-Vallebona - launched this new challenge.
The president of the soccer team is a young Moldovan lady: Lilia Lebada, living in Rome and with dual nationality, who was appointed - according to the association - "not only for her sensitivity to the political plans for the youth of her country, but for her experience in football”.
The vice President is Alberto Cengarle, creator and administrator of the Italian-Moldovan discussion forum: “Ambasada.it”, who stressed that the main objective of the project is “to bring families and particularly children to love this sport, through the matches the boys will play each week”.
Mihailovca-Seborga 2005 team will wear the blue colours, like the colours of the Principality of Seborga and will have as sponsor various Italian and Moldovan firms and companies.
From September the team will play in the national championships, but the newborn team has clear programs and aims: "to Improve the ground of the football field, build showers, changing rooms and stands, build an illumination system, as well as reaching the top positions of the youth league” explained the chairman Lilia Lebada, who added that the league “is already thinking about the creation of a team of women players”.

Seborga Among Art and Flowers

“Seborga in harmony among Art and flowers” is the theme of the next event organised by the Municipality of Seborga and in collaboration with the Angelo Biffi Art Gallery.

Flowers compositions and fresco paintings will be displayed along the streets of Seborga, from the 1st to the 4th of May 2008.
For more information, contact the Tourist office by phone: 0184/223859 or by e-mail:turismo@proseborga.com

Seborga: 1st May, 2nd Pipe Festival

The Flowers Riviera and the Cote d’Azur so famous for their centuries-old olive trees are also renowned for their ‘briar’ or ‘arboreous heather’ root, – which in our dialect is called ‘U Brugu’ – plants which are used for making pipes. On Thursday 1st May, from 10.00 am on, in the small square of San Martino in Seborga, in the presence of handicraftsmen and worldwide famous master pipe makers, the 2nd Pipe International Festival is scheduled.

“It is a common mistake to think that smoking was imported from America in Christopher Columbus days – the organizers say -. Recent excavations in South France unearthed examples of ‘primordial pipes’ dating back to 400 BC made in iron, bronze and clay. Roman naturalist and historian Plinio, who lived in the 1st century AC, tells us how the habit of burning particular herbs, with supposed medical virtues, was popular, along with the ‘inhaling’ of its smoke by means of stems."

Worldwide famous Master Pipe Maker Domenico Giordano from Badalucco, who has been a pipe maker for over 50 years, will preside over the event presenting an exhibition of his briar and olive pipes. Everybody is welcome to the meeting, lady smokers included. French writer Franc Nohain (1873–1934) said: “in the gestures related to pipe smoking, in the way of holding it and of caressing its bowl, there is an expression of wellness and of certainty and bliss, which the best cigarette will never give you. And women, so pride of smoking cigarettes, will never really be equal to men, if not when will bravely approach pipe smoking”.

Permanent exhibition all year round at Grand Hotel Des Anglais, Corso Imperatrice - Sanremo. More information visit: http://www.orchestraprincipatodiseborga.com/ or http://www.giordanopipe.it/

Bassoon in Concert

Monday 21 April 2008
09:00 pm

Opera Theatre
Casinò Municipale
San Remo

VITALIANO GALLO
Bassoon in Concert

Music Repertoire of
Vivaldi, Bizet, Gangleberger, Monti

For more information:
www.orchestraprincipatodiseborga.com

History and Culture of Religions at the Honorary Consulate of Seborga at Castellarano

The Honorary Consulate of Seborga at Castellarano (a municipality in the Province of Reggio Emilia, Italy) keeps up its efforts to promote culture.
Its own mission, in fact, is to be an instrument for the development of learning and training, a meeting point of people and cultures.
A series of meetings have been held by the Honorary Consul Paolo Iotti (see photo) in collaboration with the Seminary of the Rovigo town on the reading of the Bible.
Also in development, with the collaboration of the municipality administration of Castellarano, is a series of five meetings on the history and culture of religions. As a result, the name of Seborga is associated with the desire for knowledge and sharing it.
For more information:
Honorary Consulate of Seborga, Via J. Kennedy, 3 - Castellarano (Italy).
Telephone: +39 331 27 22 575
Consul: Dr. Paolo Iotti iottip@libero.it

Web: http://www.beepworld.it/members/consolatoonorariodiseborga/index.htm

Peking 2008 Letter delivered to President Burlando

A letter from the "Seborga nel Mondo" Association (Seborga in the World), addressed to the Italian Minister for Sport, Giovanna Melandri and to the Italian athletes competing at the Olympic Games, Peking (Beijing) 2008, was delivered into the hands of the President of the Liguria Region, Claudio Burlando.

The letter was written with the intent of promoting awareness in the Italian political arena of the genocide committed in Tibet and to ask the athletes to become ambassadors of a strong message of solidarity by wearing - in any way they like - the flag and the signs of Tibet during the opening ceremony of the Games and during the sporting events. (in the photo, from left: President Liguria Region: Claudio Burlando; vice President Seborga nel Mondo: Enrico Ferrero; President Seborga nel Mondo: Flavio Gorni)

Second Edition of the International Festival of the Pipe

Second International Festival of the Pipe

Principality of Seborga

Thursday, 1 May 2008

Starting from 10 AM

Piazzetta San Martino

With the participation of renown craftsmen

and pipe makers

Briar pipe of the Principality of Seborga

(Cigar smokers are also welcome)

For more info call: 0039.335.460237
or visit: www.orchestraprincipatodiseborga.com/
www.giordanopipe.it/

Easter under the banner of the contemporary art

This Easter the Angelo Biffi Art Gallery organised an exhibition of contemporary art by the artist Marzocca Antonio entitled "From our Land", along the "carrugi" of the Principality of Seborga ("carrugi" is the local dialect term used for the old narrow laneways and streets).

The open air exhibition took place on Sunday 23 and Monday 24 March.

WW2 Bomb in Seborga!

A bomb, from the second World War, discovered inside a wall of a house in Seborga few days ago was discharged on Wednesday morning, 5 March.

The town held its breath for at least an hour. To dislodge the bomb which had been there since it landed on 9 September 1944, a team of military experts (Engineers/Sappers) was called in from the Alpina Torinese Brigade. They took the shell to be detonated at Mount Nero, near the place called: “Passo del Bandito”.

The whole operation started just before 10 am. Beside the army, the Carabinieri (Italian Military Police) from Bordighera and members of the Emergency Services of Seborga-Vallebona and some volunteers from the local Red Cross were also called to guarantee the safety of the operation.

The shell had not exploded during a bombardment made by the Germans in the area which had sought to uncover a group of partisans whom they suspected were hiding in Seborga.
Indeed the five members belonging to the Resistance group were found and executed. Among them were also two young girls, 18 and 20 years of age.

That day six other people died: five members of a family from Perugia and an old person who did not stop at the “alt” command because he was deaf and was shot dead on the spot by a burst from a machine gun.

For the entire time, necessary for the removal of the shell, some houses were evacuated during the morning: in particular the house of Giuliano Fogliarino, owner of the flat in which the bomb was embedded in the wall for more than 60 years, and some houses near by.

Fortunately the children of the local school were not present on that day because they were on an excursion but to make the retrieval difficult, the shell was embedded in the wall at eight metres from the ground. A small mistake could have caused a disaster.

The knowledge of the experts made the dislodgement of the shell possible in just 15 minutes. Then the bomb was transported by the military in a isolated area called “Passo del Bandito”, on the mount Nero: a place considered ideal for such an operation as it is far away from houses and people. (Lorenza Rapini - La Stampa)

Mr. André Triquet bestowed Baron by Prince Giorgio I of Seborga

We are pleased to be informed that HH Prince Giorgio I of Seborga has bestowed of the noble title of Baron on Mr André Triquet, our Honorary Consul General in France who is also responsible for the Economic Relations with that country and Head of Cabinet of HH at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

After many years of dedicated service to the Principality and in particular to the Sovereign Order of the Knights of Saint Bernard of Chiaravalle as Master and Herald, Baron Triquet today receives a well deserved recognition for his tireless hard work.

At the same time, HH has promoted to the title of Baroness his affable wife, artist and painter Madame Béatrice Tintignac. Our deepest congratulations and best wishes to Baron Triquet and his consort!

This new initiative promoted by our Prince, who this year celebrates 45 years of reign, opens the road for the creation of a “Seborgan Nobility” comprised of people of newly noble status as well as nobles already recognized by the Principality of Seborga for their titles conferred overseas, even by countries that no longer exist.

It means now that with the existence of Nobility there will be a Princely Court and the creation of the label: "Supplier of the Court of the Principality of Seborga" (similar to the endorsement used in commercial activities in UK: "By Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen"), on which HH has already issued a decree dated 5 July 2002.

The Principality of Seborga could also bestow noble titles on behalf of States or foreign Entities, for example the Holy See, if requested. The Holy See (that has maintained its tutelage on Seborga for about thousand years and guarantees its no-annexation by Italy) in the past it has conferred noble titles on people who merited but then ceased doing so on the basis of a pronouncement made by HH Paolo VI in 1964.

New Exhibition by Bea in Seborga

A new artistic exhibition was held on Tuesday 26 January at the seborgan restaurant “Il Principe” by the artist-painter Bea (Béatrice Triquet-Tintignac).

The event was attended by HH Prince Giorgio I of Seborga, by the former Consul of United States in Paris S. Léo BOURNE, and by several personalities and artists lovers.

The artist who initially studied stilismo in Paris has now evolved a more figurative form of painting, expanding her interest on various subjects that benefit from her acute sense of chromatic style and are revealed as vivid and decorative. Her portraits and Venetian views are particularly valued. All our best wishes to our productive artist!

In the photo, from left to right: Mr. A. Triquet-Tintignac (Head of Cabinet of HH); Prince Enrico III Paleologo (heir of the Byzantine Empire); artist Bea (wife of Mr. Triquet); barrister A. Romano (Secretary of State for Justice); HH Prince Giorgio I of Seborga and J.-M. Arden (Vice Consul of Seborga for the Corse Region).

‘Corso Fiorito 2008’: The winner is the town of Taggia

The Olympic Games was the theme of this year new edition of ‘Corso Fiorito’, the flower festival that took place last Sunday 27 January at Sanremo.
This year the famous parade of floral floats was indeed a parade of sports stars.

Each of the 13 competing floral carriages represented an “azzurro” athlete (azzurro= Italian) who won at least one or more golden medals.

Seborga took part at the event with a floral float representing the sport of rowing (second photo below). On the carriage, suspended on a mat of flowers from local producers a tiger - the mascot of the Olympic Games of Seoul 1988 – was mounted, as well as a huge dragon with a body made of the five Olympic rings in honor of China, the organizer of the Games.

On one side of the float the flower composition represented the sport of rowing that in Seoul's Games saw the triumph of Gianluca Farina in the category Men's Quadruple Sculls.

Again this year the Sanremo float, which does not participate in the competition, opened the parade with a floral composition representing the symbols of the Olympic Games: the five rings and the Olympic cauldron.

This year’s winner was the town of Taggia with the floral float representing the equestrian discipline at the Olympic Games of Tokyo in 1964 (first photo on top).
Second place went to the town of Imperia, with a floral composition dedicated to sailing and the Olympic Games of Sydney in 2000.
Third place went to the floral float of Santo Stefano al Mare representing the sport of boxing and the Olympic Games in Rome in 1960. (Photos by Flavio)

Seborgan Delegation at the Norwegian Diplomatic Reception

A significant joint reception organised by the Embassy of Norway in Belgium and the General Consulate of Norway in Luxembourg took place Thursday 8 November 2007 at the Bettembourg Castle, in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

More than 350 guests and personalities were present at the event; among them the Ambassador of Norway, H.E. J. Bernhardsen, the Consul General of Norway in Luxembourg, Dame Christine Doerner, several guests from Luxembourg and foreign Consuls who, for the occasion, were given the honour of the first rank in the reception hall.

Guest of honour at the event was the energetic Christine Doerner, well known and regarded in Luxembourg as Notary, Member of the Chamber of Deputy of the Christian Social People’s Party for her commitment to the protection of women and Consul General of Norway.

The delegation of the Principality of Seborga, cordially invited, was represented by the Baron J.-Ph. Arnotte, Honorary Consul, and by G. Clemente, candidate Vice-Honorary Consul (in the photo: respectively on the left and on the right of Mrs Doerner) and were order of first and third rank.

The reception was held under the theme of the Centenary Anniversary of the death of the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, author of the famous play “Peer Gynt”, with a piano concert followed by a recital that the composer himself completed with the moving “Solveig Song” (Peer Gynt Suite I, Opus 46).

At a time when the international and constitutional status of Seborga has reached a particularly crucial point in the Italian Constitutional Court (see our article published on 25.04.07 titled: “Sensational Verdict from an Italian Tribunal: The Italian State Has No Jurisdiction over Seborga!”) we applaud the political far-sightedness of the Consul General of Norway who for several years has honoured us with her esteem.

To the Grand Dame de Bettembourg our thanks and best wishes!

Awarded the winners of this year’s Historical Library Competition

Once again, on Sunday 11 November, Piazza San Martino was the setting for the award ceremony of this year’s Historical Library Competition organized by the Municipality and the Principality of Seborga.
This year the three winners are: Mr. Pietro Guglielmi from Vallebona (Imperia, Italy) with a work titled “Il Passato che Ritorna” (The Return of the Past): a research based on old objects of various nature and periods found in and around Seborga.
The second winner is Mr. Riccardo Guglielmi, professor at Lund University (Sweden) with a research on toponymy in Vallebona and Seborga.
The third awarded is Mr. Alberto Castellini from Verona (Italy) with an essay regarding the relations between the Principality of Seborga and the Italian State.
Present at the award ceremony were the Mayor of Seborga, Mr. Franco Fogliarini, the curator of the Historical Library, Mr. Giorgio Pistone and HRH Prince Giorgio 1st escorted by around fifty Knights of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher.

The Secrets of the Olive Tree in 160 pages

Now available in the bookstores (in Italy) is the book written by Giorgio Pistone and Luigi Costanzo Oliva (alias Luì Cerin) titled: “Lenga d’oju – ulivi e olio, fatica e poesia” (Olives Trees and Oil, Hard Work and Poetry).
Basically it is a mini encyclopaedia on the olive tree and published as part of the series known as “I Quaderni del Principato di Seborga” (Notes of the Principality of Seborga).
Its 160 pages include photos from the past and the present, maps and illustrations that will allow the reader to travel through the world of the olive tree, the different variety, the most famous and oldest trees in the territory, the mythology associated with this plant, without leaving aside an accurate historical digression in to the commercial expansion of the oil and the olives.
The publication also provides a precious dictionary of words in the ligurian dialect “on the oil world and about”, followed by a description of ancient oil-mills and how they operated, a collection of poems dedicated to the delicious golden nectar and a selection of historical scripts related to the subject.
The book ends with some useful suggestions for the kitchen with recipes and practical applications of the oil and olives.
It is definitely a great book for those who love history and local traditions and for those food lovers who really enjoy the regional cooking. (G. Giordano)

The Government website is now back and running

We are please to inform that the official website of the Seborgan Government is now working. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the previous interruptions.

The website of the Seborgan Government is temporarily down due to technical difficulties

We regret to inform that due to technical difficulties the official website of the Seborgan Government is temporarily unavailable as we currently experience continue interruptions. We will keep you informed as soon as the website will be back in operation and be more stable. In the meantime, we apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Library Competition: On the 11 November the Awards

On Sunday 11 November, the award ceremony for the finalists in the 3rd competition organised by the Historical Library will be held in Seborga.

As previously published, the competition consists of an essay in Italian or French on the topic of historical events of the Late Medieval period.

The ceremony will commence at 15:00 in Piazza San Martino and will be preceded by a concert by the Community Choir of the French city of Escarène (twin city with Seborga). All are welcome.

Seborga: Larotella Art Exhibition

The Angelo Biffi Art Gallery in Seborga has organised on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 October an art exhibition of contemporary paintings by the artist Agnese Margherita Larotella, titled: "Colours and Emotions of Our Land".

Seborga on Show on Australian Television

Australian viewers will soon see a glimpse of the Principality of Seborga.

On Tuesday 2 October, during the program Global Village at 6:00 pm (EAST), the second national public channel SBS TV will broadcast a short documentary of 9 minutes (French production) about the intriguing history and status of the Principality. (visit the link: www.sbs.com.au)