Aulla

Last updated
Aulla
Comune di Aulla
Aulla-IMG 0491.JPG
Panorama of Aulla
Coat of arms of Aulla.svg
Location of Aulla
Aulla
Italy provincial location map 2016.svg
Red pog.svg
Aulla
Location of Aulla in Italy
Italy Tuscany location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Aulla
Aulla (Tuscany)
Coordinates: 44°13′N09°58′E / 44.217°N 9.967°E / 44.217; 9.967
Country Italy
Region Tuscany
Province Massa and Carrara
Government
  MayorRoberto Valettini
Area
[1]
  Total5,999 km2 (2,316 sq mi)
Elevation
64 m (210 ft)
Population
 (30 June 2017) [2]
  Total11,065
  Density1.8/km2 (4.8/sq mi)
Demonym Aullesi
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
54011
Dialing code 0187
Patron saintSt. Caprasius
Website Official website

Aulla is a comune in the province of Massa and Carrara, Tuscany, central Italy. It is located in the valley of the River Magra.

Contents

Geology

Wide river bed of Magra in Aulla, upstream to Barbarasco and Lusuolo castle Veduta di Aulla 2.jpg
Wide river bed of Magra in Aulla, upstream to Barbarasco and Lusuolo castle

In 1977, the Italian geologist Augusto Azzaroli discovered a series of mammal rests with a correlated fauna in the adjacent locality of Olivola. The so-called Olivola Conglomerates dated back to the late Villafranchian age (1.0 to 3.5 million years ago). [3]

In the following year, a first level of continental sedimentary remains was found at a depth of 250 metres, with the following archaic tree species: Taxodium , Sequoia, Magnolia , Symplocos and Sapotaceae . In Europe, these species are usually dated to the pre-Pleistocene (over 2.5 million years ago). Their presence confirmed the hypothesis of a temperate to warm climate. [3] [4]

Deer fossils have also been found in Aulla, from the Procaproleus causanus and Pseudodama pardinensis lyra species which in the Western Europe "are characteristic of the mammal assemblages of the Early [Villafranchian" period (3.5-1.0 Ma). These animal fossils contrast with the oldest and deepest strata of sedimentary deposits and the so-called Olivola Conglomerates. Some researchers supposed they didn't originate in this area, given that fossils referred to the Villafranchian age are relatively common in Italy.[ clarification needed ] [3]

History

The walls of the Brunella Fortress above Aulla Aulla-Brunella-Fortress-2012.JPG
The walls of the Brunella Fortress above Aulla

Traces of Roman and Etruscan civilizations found in the church of the Abbey of San Caprasio indicate that there were settlements in Aulla long before the 8th century CE, when margrave Adalbert I of Tuscany founded a village and built a castle to accommodate pilgrims traveling the via Francigena. [5] Here, at Aguilla Sigeric, Archbishop of Canterbury, sojourned on his return journey from Rome about 990. [6] The Malaspina family wrested feudal power of the city and its contada from the domination of the bishops and dukes of Luni. In 1543 the Centurione family purchased it. They built the Brunella Fortress  [ it ], which was bought in the early 20th century by Aubrey and Lina Waterfield, and remains privately owned, functioning as a museum of natural history for the Lunigiana region. One of the most important buildings of the town is the Abbey of San Caprasio that was founded in the 9th century and named after Saint Caprasius of Lérins, whose body was transferred to Aulla in the 10th century.

In 1943, the historic center of Aulla was destroyed by Anglo-American bombings aimed at German troops stationed there during the Second World War. By the end of the war large sections of the city were obliterated by Anglo-American bombings which sought to destroy the town's key railroad network and gunpowder manufacturing plant. A replica of an unexploded bomb is preserved in the former abbey of San Caprasio, which is now a museum.

In April 1945 the 442nd Infantry Regiment (United States), aided by a significantly strong Italian partisan fighting force, liberated the city of Aulla, after fierce battles with retreating German troops.

On 8 April 2020, a 260 metre long road bridge at Albiano Magra near Aulla collapsed into the River Magra. The traffic on the bridge was unusually light due to the coronavirus lockdown then in force, and the collapse resulted in only minor injuries to two casualties. [7] [8]

Sister cities

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Via Francigena</span> Ancient pilgrimage route in Europe

The Via Francigena is an ancient road and pilgrimage route running from the cathedral city of Canterbury in England, through France and Switzerland, to Rome and then to Apulia, Italy, where there were ports of embarkation for the Holy Land. It was known in Italy as the "Via Francigena" or the "Via Romea Francigena". In medieval times it was an important road and pilgrimage route for those wishing to visit the Holy See and the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congridae</span> Family of fishes

The Congridae are the family of conger and garden eels. Congers are valuable and often large food fishes, while garden eels live in colonies, all protruding from the sea floor after the manner of plants in a garden. The family includes over 180 species in 32 genera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kogiinae</span> Subfamily of mammals

Kogiinae is a subfamily of sperm whales of the family Kogiidae comprising the genera Kogia and the extinct Praekogia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magra</span> River in Italy

The Magra is a 62-kilometre (39 mi) long river of Northern Italy, which runs through Pontremoli, Filattiera, Villafranca in Lunigiana and Aulla in the province of Massa-Carrara (Tuscany); Santo Stefano di Magra, Vezzano Ligure, Arcola, Sarzana and Ameglia in the province of La Spezia (Liguria).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cene, Lombardy</span> Comune in Lombardy, Italy

Cene is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about 60 kilometres (37 mi) northeast of Milan and about 15 kilometres (9 mi) northeast of Bergamo.

<i>Nannolytoceras</i> Genus of molluscs (fossil)

Nannolytoceras is an extinct genus of lytoceratid ammonite, family Lytoceratidae, with a stratigraphic range extending from the Bajocian age to Bathonian age.

<i>Apateodus</i> Extinct genus of fishes

Apateodus is a genus of prehistoric marine ray-finned fish which was described by Woodward in 1901. It was a relative of modern lizardfish and lancetfish in the order Aulopiformes, and one of a number of prominent nektonic aulopiforms of Cretaceous marine ecosystems.

<i>Tectonatica</i> Genus of gastropods

Tectonatica is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Naticinae of the family Naticidae, the moon snails.

The European Land Mammal Mega Zones are zones in rock layers that have a specific assemblage of fossils (biozones) based on occurrences of fossil assemblages of European land mammals. These biozones cover most of the Cenozoic, with particular focus having been paid to the Neogene and Paleogene systems, the Quaternary has several competing systems. In cases when fossils of mammals are abundant, stratigraphers and paleontologists can use these biozones as a more practical regional alternative to the stages of the official ICS geologic timescale. European Land Mammal Mega Zones are often also confusingly referred to as ages, stages, or intervals.

<i>Felis lunensis</i> Extinct species of felid

Felis lunensis, or the Martelli's cat is an extinct felid of the subfamily Felinae.

The Calcare di Cellina (Italian for Cellina Limestone, is a Hauterivian to Aptian geologic formation in Friulia-Venezia Giulia, Italy. Fossil sauropod tracks have been reported from the formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saurichthyiformes</span> Extinct order of fishes

Saurichthyiformes is an extinct order of ray-finned fish which existed in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and North America, during the late Permian to early Middle Jurassic. Saurichthyiiformes comprise two families, Saurichthyidae and Yelangichthyidae. Yelangichthyidae is monotypic, containing only the genus Yelangichthys. The gar or needlefish-like Saurichthyidae is primarily known from the genus Saurichthys. Additionally, the subgenera SaurorhynchusCostasaurichthys, Eosaurichthys, Lepidosaurichthys, and Sinosaurichthys are frequently used to group species, and are sometimes considered separate genera. Species are known from both marine end freshwater deposits. They had their highest diversity during the Early and Middle Triassic. Their phylogenetic position is uncertain, while they have often been considered members of Chondrostei, and thus related to living sturgeons and paddlefish, phylogenetic analysis of well-preserved remains has considered this relationship equivocal. They may actually belong to the stem-group of Actinopterygii, and thus not closely related to any living group of ray-finned fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laborcita Formation</span>

The Laborcita Formation is a geologic formation in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico. It preserves fossils dating back to the late Pennsylvanian to early Permian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corona Formation</span> Geologic formation in Austria and Italy

The Corona Formation is a geologic formation of the Carnian Alps at the border of Austria and Italy. It preserves fossils dated to the Gzhelian stage of the Late Carboniferous period.

The Schlern Formation, also known as Schlern Dolomite, and Sciliar Formation or Sciliar Dolomite in Italy, is a limestone, marl and dolomite formation in the Southern Limestone Alps in Kärnten, Austria and South Tyrol, Italy.

<i>Kogia pusilla</i> Small fossil whale from Italy

Kogia pusilla is an extinct species of sperm whale from the Middle Pliocene of Italy related to the modern-day dwarf sperm whale and pygmy sperm whale. It is known from a single skull discovered in 1877, and was considered a species of beaked whale until 1997. The skull shares many characteristics with other sperm whales, and is comparable in size to that of the dwarf sperm whale. Like the modern Kogia, it probably hunted squid in the twilight zone, and frequented continental slopes. The environment it inhabited was likely a calm, nearshore area with a combination sandy and hard-rock seafloor. K. pusilla likely died out due to the ice ages at the end of the Pliocene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marne di Monte Serrone</span> Geological formation in Italy

The Marne di Monte Serrone is a geological formation in Italy, dating to roughly between 181 and 178 million years ago, and covering the early and middle Toarcian stage of the Jurassic Period of central Italy. It is the regional equivalent to the Toarcian units of Spain such as the Turmiel Formation, units in Montenegro, such as the Budoš Limestone and units like the Tafraout Formation of Morocco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caprigliola bridge collapse</span> 260 m road bridge collapsed in Italy on 8 April 2020

The bridge of Caprigliola was also known as the Albiano bridge, the Albiano Magra bridge or the Ponte di Albiano Magra.

<i>Raibliania</i> Extinct genus of reptiles

Raibliania is an extinct genus of tanystropheid archosauromorph discovered in the Calcare del Predil Formation in Italy. It lived during the Carnian stage of the Late Triassic and it was related to Tanystropheus. Raibliania is distinct from Tanystropheus due to some distinct features of the cervical vertebrae and teeth. The type species is Raibliania calligarisi, named in 2020. The holotype consists of a partial post-cranial skeleton, with the known elements including vertebrae, a single tooth, several ribs, gastralia and parts of the pelvis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neoproscinetes</span> Extinct genus of fishes

Neoproscinetes is a genus of extinct pycnodontid fish from the Cretaceous Santana Formation of Brazil. Fossils of this species have also been discovered in the Riachuelo Formation.

References

  1. "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 ABBAZZI, LAURA; FICCARELLI, GIOVANNI; TORRE, DANILO (2017). "Deer fauna from the Aulla quarry (Val Di Magra, Northern Apennines). Biochronological remarks". Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia. 101 (3). University of Milan: 341–342. doi:10.13130/2039-4942/8591. ISSN   0035-6883.
  4. Bertoldi, Remo (June 1988). "Una sequenza palinologica di età rusciniana nei sedimenti lacustri basali di Aulla-Olivola (Val Di Magra)". Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia (in Italian and English). 94 (1). OCLC   8580329749. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020.
  5. Geo Pistarino, Una fonte medievale falsa e il suo presunto autore (University of Genoa, 1958) demonstrated in detail that the notorious "cartulary of Aulla", supposedly drawn up at the end of the thirteenth century, was in fact a forgery by Alfonso Ceccarelli, who was executed for other forgeries in 1583.
  6. F. P. Magoun, Jr., "The Italian Itinerary of Philip II (Philippe-Auguste) in the Year 1191" Speculum17.3 (July 1942;367-376) p. 373. Magoun notes that Philip Augustus of France may have stopped here on his more leisurely northward journey in 1191, but the possibly corresponding entry in his itinerary is unclear.
  7. "Lockdown keeps casualty figure low as Italian bridge collapses". The Guardian . London. 8 April 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  8. "Bridge Collapses in Italy, Newest Crumbling Infrastructure". The New York Times . 8 April 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.