Editing Principality of Seborga

{{Short description|Unrecognised micronation in northwest Italy}}
{{About|the micronation in Italy|the town|Seborga}}
{{Infobox micronation
| conventional_long_name = Principality of Seborga
| common_name            = Seborga
| native_name            = {{Native name|it|Principato di Seborga}}<br>{{Native name|lij|Prinçipatu de A Seborca}}
| general                = 
| coordinates            = {{coord|43|50|N|7|42|E|region:IT|display=inline,title}}
| image_map              = Map of Seborga (Italian Comune & Micronation).svg
| map_caption            = Map the [[Seborga|Italian Comune of Seborga]] and the Principality of Seborga marked in red within [[Europe]]
| area_km2               = 14
| ethnic_groups          = 
| leader_name1           = *Giorgio I (1963–2009)
* Marcello I (2010–2019)
* Nina (2019–''present'')|
| established_date1      = 1963
| area_acre              = 
| nummembers             = 
| currency_code          = 
| DST_note               = 
| footnotes              = 
| GDP_nominal            = 
| area_rank              = 
| GDP_PPP                = 
| GDP_PPP_year           = 
| HDI                    = 
| HDI_year               = 
| today                  = 
| official_website         = {{url|https://www.principatodiseborga.com}}
| image                  = <!-- See talk; discussion ongoing about the symbols of the Principality being added to this infobox.
Section: Should the state symbols be added? -->
}}

The '''Principality of Seborga''' ({{langx|it|Principato di Seborga}}, [[Ligurian language|Ligurian]]: ''Prinçipâtu de Seburca'') is an unrecognised [[micronation]] that claims a {{convert|14|km2|mi2 acre|abbr=on|adj=on}} area located in the northwestern [[Italy|Italian]] [[Province of Imperia]] in [[Liguria]], near the [[France|French]] border, and about {{convert|35|km|mi|-1}} from [[Monaco]].<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite news |title=Obituary: His Tremendousness Giorgio Carbone |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/royalty-obituaries/6671765/His-Tremendousness-Giorgio-Carbone.html |access-date=17 January 2021 |work=The Telegraph |date=27 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091201012903/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/royalty-obituaries/6671765/His-Tremendousness-Giorgio-Carbone.html |archive-date=1 December 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> The principality is coextensive with the [[comune]] of [[Seborga]]; assertions of sovereignty were instigated in 1963 by a local campaigner based on unproven claims about territorial settlements made by the [[Congress of Vienna]] after the [[Napoleonic Wars]].

==History ==

[[File:Antica frontiera di seborga.JPG|thumb|left|The "frontier" post on the road approaching Seborga]]

The claim of sovereignty for [[Seborga]] was put forward in 1963 by a Seborgan former [[Floriculture|flower grower]] named Giorgio Carbone. He claimed to have found documents from the [[Vatican archives]] which, according to Carbone, indicated that Seborga had never been a possession of the [[House of Savoy]] and was therefore not legitimately included in the [[Kingdom of Italy]] when it was formed in 1861 during [[Italian unification]]. Carbone claimed that Seborga had existed as a [[List of historic states of Italy|sovereign state of Italy]] since 954, and that from 1079 it was a principality of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. Sovereignty claims assert that Seborga was overlooked by the [[Congress of Vienna]] in its redistribution of European territories after the [[Napoleonic Wars]].<ref name="Telegraph" /><ref name="Klieger">{{cite book |last1=Klieger |first1=P. Christiaan |title=The Microstates of Europe: Designer Nations in a Post-Modern World |date=29 November 2012 |publisher=Lexington Books |isbn=978-0-7391-7427-2 |page=177 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CrfwGa4aCwYC&pg=PA177 |access-date=17 January 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

Carbone promoted the idea of Seborgan independence as a principality, and in 1963 the town's inhabitants elected him as their putative head of state. Carbone [[False titles of nobility|assumed the style and title]] ''His Tremendousness (Sua Tremendità)'' Giorgio I, Prince of Seborga.<ref name=Telegraph /><ref name="italymag">{{cite web |title=Prince of Seborga fights on for 362 subjects {{!}} Liguria {{!}} ITALY Magazine |url=http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy/liguria/prince-seborga-fights-362-subjects/ |website=The Telegraph  |access-date=17 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119012259/http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy/liguria/prince-seborga-fights-362-subjects/ |archive-date=19 November 2010 |date=15 June 2006}}</ref> He formed a "cabinet" of ministers; minted a local currency, the [[#Currency|luigino]]; introduced a Seborgan flag, a white cross on a blue background; and established a Latin motto, {{lang|lt|Sub Umbra Sede}} (Sit in the shade). 
Carbone's campaign has generally not been taken seriously and is widely viewed as a ruse to attract tourists to the town, although his supporters in the town claim that their small state has been recognised by [[Burkina Faso]].<ref name="Telegraph" /><ref name="huffingtonpost">{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/anneli-rufus/seborga-the-micronation-i_b_5760864.html|title=Seborga: The Micronation Inside Italy Where Time Stands Still|date=11 September 2014|author=Anneli Rufus|publisher=HuffPost|access-date=5 May 2018}}</ref>

In January 2006, Carbone announced that he would [[Abdication|abdicate]] on reaching the age of 70, apparently as a result of a row over rebuilding the village centre, but he didn't and continued to hold the office until his death.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article718377.ece "Wanted: prince to rule village"], Richard Owen, ''The Times'', 24 January 2006</ref> Even so, this decision was the subject of a feature on the [[BBC World Service]] [[radio]] programme ''World Today'' on 25 January 2006.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/worldtoday/news/story/2006/01/060116_wtselect_wk3.shtml "The best of the World Today"], BBC, 16 January 2006</ref>

Giorgio Carbone retained his ceremonial position until his death on 25 November 2009 (age 73), due to complications due to [[amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]].<ref name=Telegraph/> The position of the Serborgan "monarch" is not hereditary, and since Carbone's death, elections have been held in Seborga every seven years among the town's 200 registered voters.<ref name="telegraph180832017">{{cite news |last1=Squires |first1=Nick |title=Radio DJ from West Sussex vies to become next leader of tiny self-declared principality in Italy |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/18/british-dj-west-sussex-vies-become-next-leader-tiny-self-declared/ |access-date=17 January 2021 |work=The Telegraph |date=18 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111222517/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/18/british-dj-west-sussex-vies-become-next-leader-tiny-self-declared/ |archive-date=11 November 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Carbone was succeeded by businessman Marcello Menegatto, who was elected on 25 April 2010 and crowned on 22 May 2010 as ''His [[Serene Highness]]'' (''Sua Altezza Serenissima'' or ''SAS'') Prince Marcello I.<ref>[http://seborgatimes.blogspot.com/2010/05/seborga-will-crown-his-new-elected.html Seborga Times], Article "Seborga will crown his new elected Prince: Menegatto I"</ref><ref name="telegraph-tremendousness"/><ref name="principe-biog">{{cite web |title=S.A.S. il Principe di Seborga |url=https://www.principatodiseborga.com/pds/s-a-s-il-principe-di-seborga |website=Principato di Seborga |access-date=28 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928091926/https://www.principatodiseborga.com/pds/s-a-s-il-principe-di-seborga |archive-date=28 September 2019 |language=it-IT|url-status=dead}}</ref> Menegatto was re-elected as Prince on 23 April 2017, after an unsuccessful challenge to the position by Mark Dezzani, a British-born [[Disc jockey|radio DJ]] who had lived in Seborga for nearly 40 years.<ref name="telegraph180832017" />

On 12 April 2019, Menegatto abdicated from his position,<ref>[https://www.principatodiseborga.com/pds/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Lettera-di-dimissioni-del-Principe-Marcello.pdf Letter of resignation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928091926/https://www.principatodiseborga.com/pds/s-a-s-il-principe-di-seborga |date=2019-09-28 }} on principatodiseborga.com</ref> and he was succeeded by his ex-wife, Nina Menegatto, who was elected by the town as ''Her Serene Highness'' Princess Nina on 10 November 2019.<ref name="telegraph-nina">{{cite news|last=Vogt|first=Andrea |title='Her Tremendousness' elected leader of self-declared micro-nation on hilltop in Italy |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/11/10/tremendousness-elected-leader-self-declared-micro-nation-hilltop/|access-date=11 November 2019|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=10 November 2019}}</ref>

== List of Seborgan monarchs ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Title !! Given name !! Reign began !! Reign ended
|-
| Prince Giorgio I || Giorgio Carbone || 14 May 1963 || 25 November 2009
|-
| Prince Marcello I || Marcello Menegatto || 25 April 2010<ref name="telegraph-tremendousness">{{cite news|last=Squires|first=Nick |title=Tiny Italian principality announces new monarch called 'His Tremendousness' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/7639617/Tiny-Italian-principality-announces-new-monarch-called-His-Tremendousness.html|access-date=18 June 2010|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=27 April 2010}}</ref><ref name="metro">{{cite news|title=The King of Nylon: 'kingdom' of Seborga ruled by hosiery heir|url=http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/823736-the-king-of-nylon-kingdom-of-seborga-ruled-by-hosiery-heir|access-date=18 June 2010|newspaper=The Metro|date=28 April 2010|location=London|archive-date=16 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116023524/http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/823736-the-king-of-nylon-kingdom-of-seborga-ruled-by-hosiery-heir|url-status=dead}}</ref> || 10 November 2019
|-
| Princess Nina || Nina Menegatto ||10 November 2019<ref name=telegraph-nina /> || ''incumbent''
|}

=== False titles ===
{{See also|False titles of nobility|Pretender}}
There have been [[pretender]]s to the Seborgan throne, which include such pretenders as the self-styled "[[Princess]]" Yasmine von Hohenstaufen Anjou Plantagenet,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Malcolm |author1-link= |title=Battle rages for His Tremendousness's throne {{!}} Italy {{!}} Europe {{!}} International News {{!}} News {{!}} Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/13/wsebo13.xml |access-date=17 January 2021 |work=The Telegraph |date=13 June 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311031813/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/13/wsebo13.xml |archive-date=11 March 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="italymag" /> and Nicolas Mutte, a French writer.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ruler of self-declared principality on the Italian Riviera faces 'coup d'etat' from rival |first=Nick |last=Squires |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/21/ruler-of-self-declared-principality-on-the-italian-riviera-faces/ |access-date=17 January 2021 |work=The Telegraph |date=22 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160622124827/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/21/ruler-of-self-declared-principality-on-the-italian-riviera-faces/ |archive-date=22 June 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

Yasmine von Hohenstaufen wrote to Italy's [[President (government title)|president]] and offered to return the principality to the state on June 13, 2006.<ref name="tremendousness">{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Malcolm |date=13 June 2006 |title=Battle rages for His Tremendousness's throne {{!}} Italy {{!}} Europe {{!}} International News {{!}} News {{!}} Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/13/wsebo13.xml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311031813/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/13/wsebo13.xml |archive-date=11 March 2007 |access-date=16 October 2024 |website=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]}}</ref>

== Seborga today ==

Seborga's independence claims continue today, and an official ''Principato di Seborga'' website asserts the historical arguments put forward by Carbone.<ref>{{cite web |title=Why we are independent|url=https://www.principatodiseborga.com/en/why-we-are-independent|website=Principality of Seborga|language=en}}</ref> Seborga claims to maintain a volunteer border guard, the ''Corpo delle Guardie''. Participants wear a blue-and-white uniform and during the tourist season they stand guard at [[sentry box]]es on the unofficial border crossing on the main road into Seborga.<ref name="telegraph180832017" /><ref name="guardie">{{cite web |title=Le Guardie |url=https://www.principatodiseborga.com/pds/guardie |website=Principato di Seborga |access-date=17 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109093713/https://www.principatodiseborga.com/pds/guardie|archive-date=9 January 2021 |language=it-IT}}</ref>

The unrecognised [[micronation]] that claims Seborga Town understands that the town still falls directly within the laws and borders of [[Italy]].<ref>{{Cite web |author=Jacopo Prisco |title=Seborga: The Italian village that wants to be a country |url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/italy-village-seborga-country/index.html |access-date=2022-03-29 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

=== Currency ===

[[File:Seborga_Coin_-_Arms.JPG|thumb|230x230px|A ''15 centesimi'' Seborga luigino coin]]

Seborga's [[local currency]], the Seborga luigino, is divided into 100 centesimi. Luigini coins circulate in Seborga alongside the [[euro]]. The currency has no value outside of the town. The [[Value (economics)|value]] of the luigino is [[pegged currency|pegged]] to the [[United States dollar|US dollar]] at SPL{{nbsp}}1 = USD{{nbsp}}6.00.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.principatodiseborga.com/en/the-luigini|title=The luigini|website=Principality of Seborga|language=en}}</ref> On 20 August 2023 the Principality presented the first banknote ever of the ''luigini''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.principatodiseborga.com/2023/08/p=9466|title=Festa di San Bernardo 2023 / Resoconto della giornata, rassegna stampa, foto, video – Presentata la prima banconota della storia del Principato di Seborga|website=Principality of Seborga|language=en}}</ref>

=== Population ===

As of 1 January 2018, Seborga had a population of 297 people, with 146 males and 151 females.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://demo.istat.it/pop2018/index3.html|title=Statistiche demografiche ISTAT|website=demo.istat.it|series=Imperia|access-date=2019-03-21|archive-date=2019-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630220127/http://demo.istat.it/pop2018/index3.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> As of 2021, the population of Seborga has gone down to 217 people.

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==

*{{cite book |first=Eugène |last=Caïs de Pierlas |title=I Conti di Ventimiglia, il priorato di San Michele ed il principato di Seborga |location=Turin |publisher=G. B. Paravia |year=1884}}

==External links==

{{Commonscat|Principality of Seborga}}
{{Wikivoyage|Seborga}}
* {{in lang|it}} {{Official website|https://www.principatodiseborga.com}}
* {{Official website|seborgatimes.blogspot.com|Official English-language blog}}
* {{in lang|it}} [http://gazzettadiseborga.com/ ''La Gazzetta di Seborga''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129043443/https://gazzettadiseborga.com/|date=November 29, 2022}}

{{Micronations}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seborga, Principality Of}}
[[Category:Elective monarchy]]
[[Category:Geography of Liguria]]
[[Category:Secessionist towns and cities]]
[[Category:Micronations in Italy]]
[[Category:Seborga]]
[[Category:Self-proclaimed monarchy]]