Follonica (Italian pronunciation: [folˈlɔːnika]) is a town and comune (township) of province of Grosseto in the Italian region of Tuscany, on the Gulf of Follonica (Golfo di Follonica), about 40 kilometres (25 mi) northwest of the city of Grosseto.
Follonica | |
|---|---|
| Città di Follonica | |
 | |
Location of Follonica  | |
  Follonica Location of Follonica in Italy  Follonica Follonica (Tuscany) | |
| Coordinates: 42°55′08.76″N 10°45′42.76″E / 42.9191000°N 10.7618778°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Province | Grosseto (GR) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Andrea Benini |
| Area | |
• Total | 55.84 km2 (21.56 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Population (31 August 2017)[2] | |
• Total | 21,339 |
| • Density | 380/km2 (990/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Follonichesi |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 58022 |
| Dialing code | 0566 |
| Patron saint | St. Leopold |
| Saint day | November 15 |
| Website | Official website |
History
editIt was founded in 1834 by Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany for the workers of a new ironworks plant. However, the area was already settled in Etruscan and Roman times, and a medieval castle (Castello di Valli), whose ruins overlook now the modern town from a nearby hill, existed since at least 884. Until 1923 it was a frazione of Massa Marittima.
Economy
editTourism
editFollonica is a tourist site during the summer, mostly visited by the Italians themselves, lately, it has been visited from other people from other countries, such as Germany, France and United Kingdom. The city has been awarded the Bandiera Blu ("Blue Flag") every year from 2000 to 2007 for the cleanliness of its beaches and seawater.
Government
editList of mayors
edit| Mayor | Term start | Term end | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giò Batta Santini | 1944 | 1948 | Italian Socialist Party |
| Milton Bartoli | 1948 | 1951 | Italian Socialist Party |
| Dino Tesi | 1951 | 1956 | Italian Socialist Party |
| Osvaldo Bianchi | 1956 | 1963 | Italian Socialist Party |
| Giovanni Coppola | 1963 | 1966 | Italian Socialist Party |
| Dino Abati | 1966 | 1970 | Italian Republican Party |
| Ovidio Angeluccetti | 1970 | 1980 | Italian Communist Party |
| Massimo Corti | 1980 | 1983 | Italian Socialist Party |
| Lorenzo Chelini | 1983 | 1987 | Italian Communist Party |
| Enrico Norcini | 1987 | 1995 | Italian Communist Party/Democratic Party of the Left |
| Emilio Bonifazi | 1995 | 2004 | Democratic Party of the Left/The Daisy |
| Claudio Saragosa | 2004 | 2009 | Democrats of the Left/Democratic Party |
| Eleonora Baldi | 2009 | 2014 | Democratic Party |
| Andrea Benini | 2014 | Incumbent | Democratic Party |
Main sights
edit- Church of San Leopoldo, built by will of duke Leopold II of Tuscany starting from 1836
- Castle of Valli, built in the 8th century as residence of the bishops of Lucca; later it was owned by the Aldobrandeschi who, in the 13th century, sold it to the Republic of Pisa. In the 14th century it was a fortress of the Principality of Piombino until, in 1815, it became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
- Pievaccia, remains of a large fortified medieval monastery.
Sport
editUSD Follonica Gavorrano born of the merger between the teams of Gavorrano and Follonica, militant in Serie D.
Transports
edit- Road
The Via Aurelia highway (SS 1), which runs from Rome to the Franco-Italian border, passes close by the city.
- Train
The railway linking Reggio Calabria in the south and Turin in the north runs through the city, providing direct railway connections to the cities of Grosseto, Rome, Turin, Naples, Pisa and La Spezia, among others.
Sister cities
edit
References
edit- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
External links
edit
Media related to Follonica at Wikimedia Commons
- Municipality of Follonica (in Italian)
- Church of San Leopoldo