Aulla | |
---|---|
Comune di Aulla | |
Coordinates: 44°13′N09°58′E / 44.217°N 9.967°E | |
Country | Italy |
Region | Tuscany |
Province | Massa and Carrara |
Government | |
• Mayor | Roberto Valettini |
Area | |
• Total | 5,999 km2 (2,316 sq mi) |
Elevation | 64 m (210 ft) |
Population (30 June 2017) [2] | |
• Total | 11,065 |
• Density | 1.8/km2 (4.8/sq mi) |
Demonym | Aullesi |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Postal code | 54011 |
Dialing code | 0187 |
Patron saint | St. 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.
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]
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 , 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]
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.
Kogiinae is a subfamily of sperm whales of the family Kogiidae comprising the genera Kogia and the extinct Praekogia.
A nummulite is a large lenticular fossil, characterized by its numerous coils, subdivided by septa into chambers. They are the shells of the fossil and present-day marine protozoan Nummulites, a type of foraminiferan. Nummulites commonly vary in diameter from 1.3 cm to 5 cm and are common in Eocene to Miocene marine rocks, particularly around southwest Asia and the Mediterranean. Fossils up to six inches wide are found in the Middle Eocene rocks of Turkey. They are valuable as index fossils.
Perleidus is an extinct genus of ray-finned fish from the Triassic period. Fossils have been found in the Middle Triassic of Italy, Switzerland, and China. The inclusion of Early Triassic species in the genus Perleidus was questioned.
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).
Nannolytoceras is an extinct genus of lytoceratid ammonite, family Lytoceratidae, with a stratigraphic range extending from the Bajocian age to Bathonian age.
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.
The Forni Dolostone, also known as the Dolomia di Forni, is a Late Triassic dolomite geological formation in northeastern Italy. The formation was deposited in a lagoonal to shallow marine environment.
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.
Seguenzia monocingulata is an extinct species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Seguenziidae. It resembles Seguenzia formosa and has been regarded as a synonym of that (extant) species. However the two species are distinct, based on shell morphology.
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. Whereas Yelangichthyidae is monotypic, Saurichthyidae includes at least two genera, Saurorhynchus and the very speciose Saurichthys. Additionally, the subgenera Costasaurichthys, Eosaurichthys, Lepidosaurichthys, and Sinosaurichthys are frequently used to group species. Saurichthyiforms were highly successful predators, and with Yelangichthys possibly even included durophagous forms. Species are known from both marine end freshwater deposits. They had their highest diversity during the Early and Middle Triassic.
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.
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.
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.
Cavaliere dottoreCarlo Fornasini was an Italian micropalaeontologist who specialised in Foraminifera ('forams'). He was a pioneer in using fossil forams to sequence marine sedimentary deposits by their relative dates; a technique called biostratigraphy.
Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 2019.
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 Wazzant Formation and the Azilal Formation of Morocco.
The bridge of Caprigliola was also known as the Albiano bridge, the Albiano Magra bridge or the Ponte di Albiano Magra.
Teffichthys is an extinct genus of ray-finned fish from the Early Triassic epoch. Fossils have been found in Madagascar and China, and possibly also in Angola, Canada, Greenland, and Svalbard.