Carloforte
Encyclopedia
Carloforte is a fishing and resort town of located on Isola di San Pietro (Saint Peter's Island), approximately 7 km off the South Western Coast of Sardinia
, Italy
.
Carloforte was founded in the 18th century by some 30 families of coral fishers, originally from Pegli
, near Genoa
, Liguria
. They had left their home town in 1541, and had settled in the island of Tabarka
, off the coast of Tunisia, to fish for coral
. After centuries, the coral in that area was exhausted and so the families set off back to Italy and found there was plenty of coral in the sea off the west coast of Sardinia. They asked the King of Sardinia Charles Emmanuel III for permission to settle on San Pietro Island, at that time not inhabited. When he granted them permission, the island was colinized (1739); the name Carloforte (Charles the Strong, but also the Fort of Carlo) was given to the town they established there, in honour of the king. To this day Carloforte maintains strong cultural ties with the towns of Pegli and Genoa. The population still speaks a variant of Ligurian language
called tabarchìn (or tabarchino, in Italian
), completely different than Italian and Sardinian, is used even by most children and taught in the schools of the island.
The very early history of the town - and of San Pietro Island - may be linked to the so-called Children's Crusade
of 1212. A local church (Chiesa dei Novelli Innocenti) whose foundations date back to the early 14th century was apparently built in honour of hundreds of children-crusaders who may have perished in a shipwreck just off the island on their way to North Africa during a gale. In truth, historical evidence of this event, well documented in literature, is actually scant in site, (except the remainder), and would need to be researched further. The church is called Chiesa dei Novelli Innocenti and is located within the town perimeter, is not currently used as a church (only one time in the year), but are considered a monument; it was the only evident remainder of building found at the time of colonization in 1739.
Modern-day Carloforte's principal sources of revenue are fishing, tourism, and remittances from the many merchant mariners around the world who hail from Carloforte. Frequent (hourly) ferry services connect the recently expended port of Carloforte with the Sardinian mainland at Portovesme as well as Calasetta
, a similar fishing port on Sant'Antioco
Island.
To the North of the town (at the La Punta locale) is a collection of buildings that housed the former communally-owned tuna-processing plant linked to the once-vibrant tuna fishing tonnare industry on the island. Some of the buildings have undergone renovation to some extent and now contain wind-surfing school and a new, privately-owned tuna processing business. Some of the buildings are still in ruins, but remain of great architectural interest.
Excellent beaches, both rocky and sandy, line the coast of the island. Some of the cliff-top views are nothing short of spectacular. On the other side of the island from Carloforte is a functioning lighthouse (Capo Sandalo Lighthouse
, now automated), locally known simply as 'il faro' and whose structure dates back to the 1880s.
Carloforte boasts a long standing tradition of wooden boatbuilding. The industry is being kept alive by the dedication and skill of local craftsmen. Locally built traditional lateen sail fishing boats (luggers) can be spotted in the harbour. The town hosts a maritime high school, which remains well attended to this day.
Several boat chartering, diving, and tourist businesses are based in Carloforte. They can be found along its waterfront. The town offers good accommodation options, and excellent dining.
(near Alicante
), which also was populated with Genoans from the Tunisian Tabarka, (some of the exiles moved there at the time of the exodus from Tabarca). While retains the Ligurian family name, and is aware of its origins, Nueva Tabarca has lost the use of Ligurian language.
From Tabarca exodus some families also moved to Gibraltar, where was integrated in the local Genoese colony, after which, small groups are integrated in the Genoese community in New York, London, and other port cities.
Alicante
, Spain
Province of Genoa
, Italy
Pegli
, Italy Camogli
, Italy Montecchio Maggiore
, Italy from 2009
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Carloforte was founded in the 18th century by some 30 families of coral fishers, originally from Pegli
Pegli
Pegli is a neighbourhood in the west of Genoa, Italy.With a mild climate and a sea promenade, Pegli is mainly a residential area with four public parks and several villas and mansions. It is also known as a tourist resort with some hotels, camping and bathing establishments...
, near Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
. They had left their home town in 1541, and had settled in the island of Tabarka
Tabarka
Tabarka is a coastal town located in north-western Tunisia, at about , close to the border with Algeria. It has been famous for its coral fishing, the Coral Festival of underwater photography and the annual jazz festival. Tabarka's history is a colorful mosaic of Phoenician, Roman, Arabic and...
, off the coast of Tunisia, to fish for coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
. After centuries, the coral in that area was exhausted and so the families set off back to Italy and found there was plenty of coral in the sea off the west coast of Sardinia. They asked the King of Sardinia Charles Emmanuel III for permission to settle on San Pietro Island, at that time not inhabited. When he granted them permission, the island was colinized (1739); the name Carloforte (Charles the Strong, but also the Fort of Carlo) was given to the town they established there, in honour of the king. To this day Carloforte maintains strong cultural ties with the towns of Pegli and Genoa. The population still speaks a variant of Ligurian language
Ligurian language (Romance)
Ligurian is a Gallo-Romance language spoken in Liguria in Northern Italy, parts of the Mediterranean coastal zone of France, Monaco and in the villages of Carloforte and Calasetta in Sardinia. Genoese , spoken in Genoa, the capital of Liguria, is its most important dialect...
called tabarchìn (or tabarchino, in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
), completely different than Italian and Sardinian, is used even by most children and taught in the schools of the island.
Children's Crusade
The Children's Crusade is the name given to a variety of fictional and factual events which happened in 1212 that combine some or all of these elements: visions by a French or German boy; an intention to peacefully convert Muslims in the Holy Land to Christianity; bands of children marching to...
of 1212. A local church (Chiesa dei Novelli Innocenti) whose foundations date back to the early 14th century was apparently built in honour of hundreds of children-crusaders who may have perished in a shipwreck just off the island on their way to North Africa during a gale. In truth, historical evidence of this event, well documented in literature, is actually scant in site, (except the remainder), and would need to be researched further. The church is called Chiesa dei Novelli Innocenti and is located within the town perimeter, is not currently used as a church (only one time in the year), but are considered a monument; it was the only evident remainder of building found at the time of colonization in 1739.
Modern-day Carloforte's principal sources of revenue are fishing, tourism, and remittances from the many merchant mariners around the world who hail from Carloforte. Frequent (hourly) ferry services connect the recently expended port of Carloforte with the Sardinian mainland at Portovesme as well as Calasetta
Calasetta
Calasetta is a small town and comune located on the island of Sant'Antioco, off the Southwestern coast of Sardinia, Italy.-History:While the town itself dates to 1770...
, a similar fishing port on Sant'Antioco
Sant'Antioco
Sant'Antioco is the name of both an island and a municipality in southwestern Sardinia, in the Province of Carbonia-Iglesias, in Sulcis zone. With a population of 11,730, the municipality of Sant'Antioco it is the island's largest community...
Island.
To the North of the town (at the La Punta locale) is a collection of buildings that housed the former communally-owned tuna-processing plant linked to the once-vibrant tuna fishing tonnare industry on the island. Some of the buildings have undergone renovation to some extent and now contain wind-surfing school and a new, privately-owned tuna processing business. Some of the buildings are still in ruins, but remain of great architectural interest.
Excellent beaches, both rocky and sandy, line the coast of the island. Some of the cliff-top views are nothing short of spectacular. On the other side of the island from Carloforte is a functioning lighthouse (Capo Sandalo Lighthouse
Capo Sandalo Lighthouse
The Capo Sandalo Lighthouse is prominent lighthouse on the westernmost point of San Pietro Island marking the southwestern corner of Sardinia, Italy. The original stone tower was built in 1864. It is an active aid to marine and aeronautical navigation...
, now automated), locally known simply as 'il faro' and whose structure dates back to the 1880s.
Carloforte boasts a long standing tradition of wooden boatbuilding. The industry is being kept alive by the dedication and skill of local craftsmen. Locally built traditional lateen sail fishing boats (luggers) can be spotted in the harbour. The town hosts a maritime high school, which remains well attended to this day.
Several boat chartering, diving, and tourist businesses are based in Carloforte. They can be found along its waterfront. The town offers good accommodation options, and excellent dining.
Sister cities
Carloforte is the sister city of the Spanish small island of Nueva TabarcaTabarca
Tabarca , is an islet located in the Mediterranean Sea, close to the town of Santa Pola, in the province of Alicante, Valencian community, Spain...
(near Alicante
Alicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
), which also was populated with Genoans from the Tunisian Tabarka, (some of the exiles moved there at the time of the exodus from Tabarca). While retains the Ligurian family name, and is aware of its origins, Nueva Tabarca has lost the use of Ligurian language.
From Tabarca exodus some families also moved to Gibraltar, where was integrated in the local Genoese colony, after which, small groups are integrated in the Genoese community in New York, London, and other port cities.
Alicante
Alicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Province of Genoa
Province of Genoa
The Province of Genoa is a province in the Liguria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Genoa.It has an area of 1,838 km², and a total population of about 900,000...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Pegli
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, Italy Camogli
Camogli
Camogli is a small Italian fishing village and tourist resort located on the west side of the peninsula of Portofino, on the Golfo Paradiso at the Riviera di Levante, in the province of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. its population was of 5582 inhabitants. The name means "house of wives"...
, Italy Montecchio Maggiore
Montecchio Maggiore
Montecchio Maggiore is a town and comune in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, Italy. It is situated approximately 12 km west of Vicenza and 43 km east of Verona, SP 246 passes through it....
, Italy from 2009
External links
- Carloforte e l'Isola di San Pietro
- Official regional website
- Sardinia guide
- Tourist information for Sardinia