Ortona(Abruzzese:Urtónë;Ancient Greek:Ὄρτων,romanized:Órtōn) is a coastal town andmunicipalityof theProvince of Chietiin theItalianregion ofAbruzzo,with some 23,000 inhabitants.
Ortona | |
|---|---|
| Città di Ortona | |
 A view of Ortona from the sea. | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Ortona  | |
  Ortona Location of Ortona in Italy  Ortona Ortona (Abruzzo) | |
| Coordinates:42°21′N14°24′E/ 42.350°N 14.400°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Abruzzo |
| Province | Chieti(CH) |
| Frazioni | Alboreto, Aquilano, Caldari, Colombo, Cucullo, Feudo, Fontegrande, Foro, Fossato, Gagliarda, Iurisci, Lazzaretto, Lido Riccio, Madonna delle Grazie, Ranchini, Riccio, Ripari Bardella, Rogatti, Ruscitti, San Donato, San Leonardo, San Marco, San Pietro, Santa Lucia, Savini, Tamarete, Vaccari, Villa Deo, Villa Grande, Villa Iubatti, Villa Pincione, Villa San Leonardo, Villa San Nicola, Villa San Tommaso, Villa Torre |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Leo Castiglione |
| Area | |
| • Total | 70.88 km2(27.37 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 72 m (236 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 22,209 |
| • Density | 310/km2(810/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Ortonesi |
| Time zone | UTC+1(CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2(CEST) |
| Postal code | 66026 |
| Dialing code | 085 |
| Patron saint | St. Thomas |
| Saint day | First Sunday of May |
| Website | Official website |
In1943Ortona was the site of the bloodyBattle of Ortona,known as "WesternStalingrad".[4][5]Apatron saintof Ortona is SaintThomas the Apostle(Tommaso), whoserelicswere brought to Ortona in the 13th century by a sailor and are kept in the Cathedral of Saint Thomas.[5]
History
editThe origins of Ortona are uncertain. Presumably, it was first inhabited by theFrentani,anItalicpopulation. In 2005, during works near the Castle, aBronze Agesettlement was discovered, and the Roman town largely coincided with this first settlement. Some sections of paved roads and urban walls, as well as some archaeological findings are the only remains of this period. Ortona remained a part of theEastern Roman Empire(laterByzantine Empire) for several centuries, before it was annexed by the Kingdom of theLombards.In 803 theFranksincorporated Ortona into the county ofChieti.From that date on, the town remained tied to Chieti and its territory.
In 1258 the relics of theApostle Thomaswere brought to Ortona by the sailor Leone Acciaiuoli.[6]In 1302 theCroatianlordGeorge Šubićraided Ortona and extracted tribute from its denizens. In the first half of the 15th century its walls were built, and during this period Ortona fought with the nearby town ofLancianoin a fierce war that ended in 1427. On June 30, 1447, ships fromVenicedestroyed the port of Ortona; consequently theKing of Sicilyat that time commissioned the construction of a Castle to dominate the renovated port. In 1582 the town was acquired byMargaret of Parma,daughter of EmperorCharles Vand Duchess ofParma.In 1584 Margaret decided to build a great mansion (known as Palazzo Farnese), which was never completed due to her death.
After the establishment of theKingdom of Italyin 1860, Ortona became one of the first sea resorts on theAdriatic Sea.On 9 September 1943, the royal family of theHouse of SavoyleftGerman-occupied Italy from the port of Ortona. The defensiveGustav Linewas established by the Germans at Ortona (extending towardsCassinoon the opposite side of Italy). Ortona offered the Allies a supply port on the Adriatic and was fiercely defended by the Germans. The struggle between the German paratroopers and the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade attracted the attention of the international press, leading theBattle of Ortonato be known as "Little Stalingrad."
Transport
editOrtona is served fromPort of Ortona,an important port ofAdriatic Sea.
Main sights
edit- Cathedral of San Tommaso(relicsof saintThomas the Apostle)
- Cathedral Museum
- Church of Santa Maria di Costantinopoli
- Church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria
- Lighthouse
- Medieval Aragona Castle
- Museum of Ortona battle
- Moro River Canadian War Cemetery
- Trabucchi (fishing machines) on sea
Ortona is home of several beaches that appeal to tourists and one historical museum based on the battle of Ortona. TheAbruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Parkis not far either.[5]
International relations
editThis sectionneeds additional citations forverification.(April 2016) |
Ortona istwinnedwith:
People
edit- The composerFrancesco Paolo Tostiwas born in Ortona.[8]
- The pornstarRocco Siffrediwas born in Ortona.[9]
Climate
edit| Climate data for Ortona, elevation 68 m (223 ft), (1951–2000) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 23.3 (73.9) |
23.8 (74.8) |
27.8 (82.0) |
25.2 (77.4) |
33.3 (91.9) |
34.5 (94.1) |
39.2 (102.6) |
39.2 (102.6) |
34.0 (93.2) |
30.5 (86.9) |
29.0 (84.2) |
23.7 (74.7) |
39.2 (102.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 10.4 (50.7) |
10.9 (51.6) |
13.5 (56.3) |
16.2 (61.2) |
20.7 (69.3) |
25.0 (77.0) |
28.1 (82.6) |
28.2 (82.8) |
24.9 (76.8) |
20.6 (69.1) |
15.1 (59.2) |
11.8 (53.2) |
18.8 (65.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.2 (41.4) |
5.4 (41.7) |
7.4 (45.3) |
10.0 (50.0) |
14.3 (57.7) |
18.2 (64.8) |
20.9 (69.6) |
20.8 (69.4) |
17.7 (63.9) |
14.2 (57.6) |
9.5 (49.1) |
6.6 (43.9) |
12.5 (54.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 5.2 (41.4) |
5.4 (41.7) |
7.4 (45.3) |
10.0 (50.0) |
14.3 (57.7) |
18.2 (64.8) |
20.9 (69.6) |
20.8 (69.4) |
17.7 (63.9) |
14.2 (57.6) |
9.5 (49.1) |
6.6 (43.9) |
12.5 (54.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −5.5 (22.1) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
2.8 (37.0) |
7.5 (45.5) |
8.5 (47.3) |
14.4 (57.9) |
11.3 (52.3) |
10.0 (50.0) |
4.0 (39.2) |
0.4 (32.7) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−5.5 (22.1) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 62.9 (2.48) |
50.2 (1.98) |
57.3 (2.26) |
49.7 (1.96) |
36.8 (1.45) |
36.9 (1.45) |
34.4 (1.35) |
47.7 (1.88) |
64.6 (2.54) |
79.9 (3.15) |
87.7 (3.45) |
83.0 (3.27) |
691.1 (27.22) |
| Average precipitation days | 7.2 | 6.8 | 7.1 | 6.4 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 5.4 | 7.2 | 8.3 | 8.0 | 74.1 |
| Source: Regione Abruzzo[10] | |||||||||||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011".Italian National Institute of Statistics.Retrieved16 March2019.
- ^citypopulation.de."Abruzzo Region".
- ^"Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018".Italian National Institute of Statistics.Retrieved16 March2019.
- ^"Warfare History Network » The Battle of Ortona: Italy's Stalingrad".warfarehistorynetwork.com.Archived fromthe originalon 2019-10-18.Retrieved2018-12-28.
- ^abc"Ortona, Italy is a coastal town with an impressive Argonese castle".www.italythisway.com.Retrieved2018-12-28.
- ^Giusto, Pino."Le tappe della traslazione dall'India ad Ortona".BASILICA - CATTEDRALE SAN TOMMASO APOSTOLO IN ORTONA(in Italian).Retrieved2018-12-28.
- ^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2016-05-08.Retrieved2016-05-01.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^"Francesco Paolo Tosti |".Retrieved2018-12-28.
- ^"Rocco Siffredi".Internet Adult Film Database.
- ^"VALORI MEDI CLIMATICI DAL 1951 AL 2000 NELLA REGIONE ABRUZZO"(PDF).Regione Abruzzo. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 30 June 2024.Retrieved30 June2024.
Sources
edit- Christie, N. M. (2001).Hard-won Victory: the Canadians at Ortona 1943.Ottawa: CEF Books.
- Zuehlke, Mark (1999).Ortona: Canada's epic World War II battle.Toronto: Stoddart.
External links
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