Where florists become princes 
| These flags as you arrive in Seborga, Italy are something of a give-away to its wannabe status. Photo courtesy of Martina Latini. |
by Martina Latini Seborga would look like many other sleepy Ligurian inland villages if it weren't for the dozens of blue and white flags that welcome you as you approach its centuries-old walls. But Seborga is special. It all started in the 1960s when local florist, Giorgio Carbone, began pushing for the town to regain its historic independence. He claimed that when the former principality was sold to the Savoy kings back in the 18th century, no valid documents had been produced. By 1963 the inhabitants were convinced: Giorgio Carbone was elected Prince of Seborga, becoming Sua Tremendità (His Tremendousness) Giorgio I. Own stamps and currency
An informal referendum held in 1995 confirmed the Seborgan constitution and Giorgio I's status as Prince. The Seborghini also supported independence from Italy and hoped to establish Seborga as a Monaco-type microstate. A local currency, the luigino, was even issued from 1994 and 1996 and is accepted (alongside the euro) in the shops and restaurants within Seborga's walls. Pegged at $6, the luigino would be the highest valued currency in the world if it had any legal value outside the town. Stamps are also issued, but they are of philatelic interest only, since the sole post office in town is Italian.
A little history In 954 AD, the 1.5-square-mile hilltop territory where the self-proclaimed Principality and Italian municipality of Seborga now stands was ceded by the Counts of Ventimiglia to a group of Cistercian monks who founded a monastery there. In 1079, the Abbot was made a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, earning temporal authority over Seborga. The Principality maintained its independence for almost 700 years until 1729, when it was taken over by the Savoy dynasty, which ruled over the Kingdom of Piedmont and Sardinia and was to rule Italy after unification of the country in 1861. |
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The Principality status claims have been attracting curious visitors since the 1960s and the savvy Seborghini have ensured that their quaint stone houses and maze of narrow cobbled street and alleys were preserved from commercial overdevelopment. Seborga is thus unusually free of tacky neon pizzeria signs (you'll find no pizzerias here either), Coca-Cola logo parasols, and anonymous concrete hotels. Even the souvenir shop in Piazza San Martino (selling postcards of Prince Giorgio I) is hidden under the arches that belonged to the cloister of the ancient Cistercian monastery. The village is certainly worth a visit. You enter through an ancient alleyway-the walls engraved with the names of past sovereigns-leading to the diminutive Piazza San Martino. Inside San Martino church, painted in traditional Ligurian pink and yellow, you can read the village history. Each plaque on the wall tells the story of the old princes of Seborga, reinforcing the aristocratic status of the village. Following the steps to the village center, you'll reach another small piazza where a small, highly decorated food shop sells everything from local produce to fridge magnets in the shape of the Seborgan coat of arms. Keep walking along the main street to the end of the village where there's another small, stone church, its front yard bursting with lavender, and enjoy the view of surrounding hills of olive groves. Needless to say, Seborga remains an Italian municipality-all public services are provided by the Italian government, and the Seborghini regularly pay their taxes and elect their mayor. Getting there
Take the Bordighera exit on the A10 highway (Genova-Ventimiglia) and follow the signs to Seborga. It's a 20-minute drive from Bordighera in the western Ligurian Riviera, not far from the French border, along a narrow, twisty mountain road. Where to eat
Hostaria del Coniglio, Via Verdi 7; tel. +39 0184-22 38 20 (serving excellent rabbit with olives).
Ristorante Il Principe, Piazza Martiri Patrioti 6; tel. +39 0184 22 35 70.
Taverna Templare, Piazza Martiri Patriot; tel. +39 0184 22 39 18. Where to stay
You won't find a hotel in Seborga, but there's plenty of choice for accommodation in towns like Bordighera or Sanremo, on the coast. |
