Tellaro (Lerici)
| Tellaro | |||
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| View of Tellaro | |||
| Country | Italy | ||
| region | Liguria | ||
| province | La Spezia (SP) | ||
| local community | Lerici | ||
| Coordinates | 44 ° 3 ' N , 9 ° 56' E | ||
| height | 15 m slm | ||
| Residents | 1,200 (2000) | ||
| Demonym | Tellaresi | ||
| patron | San Giorgio | ||
| Church day | April 23 | ||
| Telephone code | 0187 | CAP | 19032 |
Tellaro ( Teàe in the Ligurian dialect) is a village (fraction) of the municipality of Lerici and belongs to the association I borghi più belli d'Italia (The most beautiful places in Italy).
location
Tellaro is 3 km south of Lerici directly on the Gulf of La Spezia , from where you can see over the Gulf to Porto Venere and the offshore islands of Palmaria , Tino and Tinetto . The only access for motor vehicles is a road built close to the sea and leads from Lerici via Fiascherino to Tellaro. The village can also be reached via steep footpaths from higher places such as Montemarcello .
etymology
The name Tellaro is probably derived from tela ( linen ) for the trade in cloths and fabrics . It is also conceivable to trace it back to telus ( arrow ), as it was used to defend a fortification. An origin from the Etruscan or Palaeoligur tular (on the edge of the village) seems possible. Tellaro could also be of Greek origin, as the Latin name of Lerici, Portus Illycis, indicates the legendary settlement of the area by Iliakos ( Trojans ). In any case, the area was actually later settled by Greek emigrants.
history
Since the 7th century BC, the Gulf was ruled by the Etruscans , who founded the city of Luni, a major trading metropolis. The port of Lerici developed into an important transshipment point for Greek and Phoenician merchant ships and retained this role in Roman times.
In the 10th century AD, Berengar II confirmed to Bishop Adalberto von Luni all the church possessions in this area, including Barbazzano , a Roman settlement that had become very prosperous in the Middle Ages through the production of olive oil, but of which only ruins remain today. Pirate attacks , particularly by Saracens, were correspondingly frequent . In the 13th century the area finally came into the possession of Genoa , after Pisa and Genoa had struggled for decades for dominance in this region.
The medieval settlement of Tellaro took place between 1320 and 1380 and was probably promoted by the great plague epidemic in 1348 , as parts of the population left the city of Barbazzano and probably settled here. In 1398 the fortress of San Giorgio, after which the church, which was later built, was to be named, was destroyed by a Saracen attack. On Christmas Eve of 1400, the entire village was razed to the ground when the Saracens attacked again. The surviving residents then left the place.
A new settlement did not take place until 1564, with the houses with their narrow streets being built on the foundations of the old fortifications. In the second half of the 16th century the church of San Giorgio , dedicated to St. George , was built. The ringing of the church bell served as a warning signal for pirate attacks. The construction of the oratory of Santa Maria in Sela also fell during this period . The church with its characteristic pink color is located directly on the sea surrounded by a square with houses.
Traditions
One of the most famous legends of the area is the unusual defense against a night pirate attack by the Saracens: the pirates of Gallo D'Arenzano had just about to land when the bells suddenly began to ring. A large octopus ( Polpo ) that rose from the sea is said to have triggered the alarm. The population heard the bells and was able to push back the pirates. This event is celebrated every year on the second Sunday in August with a big festival, the Sagra del Polpo (Kraken Festival).
At Christmas , the birth of the baby Jesus is celebrated in an unusual way under water. Every year a group of divers places the statue of the child underwater. On the night of Christmas Day, the Christ child is rescued from the sea by the diving group in front of a backdrop of over 8,000 candles. The celebration closes with a large fireworks display.
Every year on the first Sunday in August, water sports enthusiasts from Tellaro take part in the Palio del Golfo , a rowing competition in the Gulf of La Spezia, in which the teams from La Spezia , Lerici , Porto Venere, San Terenzo , Le Grazie , Canaletto , Fezzano , Cadimare , Marola , Fossamastra , Muggiano and Venere Azzurra are represented. The Palio is part of the Festa del Mare , a ship show of the neighboring communities.
Known citizens
- Mario Soldati (1906–1999), writer , director and screenwriter .
- Paolo Caprini (* 1941), painter .
Individual evidence
- ^ I borghi più belli d'Italia. Borghipiubelliditalia.it, accessed July 27, 2017 (Italian).
