View allAll Photos Tagged Geographic
Italien / Piemont - Lago Maggiore
Cannobio
Lake Maggiore (UK: /mæˈdʒɔːreɪ, ˌmædʒiˈɔːreɪ/, US: /mɑːˈdʒɔːreɪ, məˈdʒɔːri/; Italian: Lago Maggiore Italian pronunciation: [ˈlaːɡo madˈdʒoːre]; Western Lombard: Lagh Maggior; Piedmontese: Lagh Magior; literally 'greater lake') or Verbano (pronounced [verˈbaːno]; Latin: Lacus Verbanus) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest lake in Italy and the largest in southern Switzerland. The lake and its shoreline are divided between the Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy and the Swiss canton of Ticino. Located halfway between Lake Orta and Lake Lugano, Lake Maggiore extends for about 64 kilometres (40 miles) between Locarno and Arona.
The climate is mild in both summer and winter, producing Mediterranean vegetation, with many gardens growing rare and exotic plants. Well-known gardens include those of the Borromean and Brissago Islands, that of the Villa Taranto in Verbania, and the Alpinia Botanical Garden above Stresa.
Lake Maggiore is drained by the river Ticino, a main tributary of the Po. Its basin also collects the waters of several large lakes, notably Lake Lugano (through the Tresa), Lake Orta (through the Toce) and Lake Varese (through the Bardello).
Geography
Lake Maggiore is 64.37 km (40 mi) long, and 3 to 5 km (2 to 3 mi) wide, except at the bay opening westward between Pallanza and Stresa, where it is 10 km (6 mi) wide. It is the longest Italian lake, although Lake Garda has a greater area. Its mean height above the sea level is 193 metres; a deep lake, its bottom is almost everywhere below sea-level: at its deepest, 179 metres below. Its form is very sinuous so that there are few points from which any considerable part of its surface can be seen at a single glance. If this lessens the effect of the apparent size, it increases the variety of its scenery. While the upper end is completely alpine in character, the middle region lies between hills of gentler form, and the lower end advances to the verge of the plain of Lombardy. Lake Maggiore is the most westerly of the three great southern prealpine lakes, the others being Lake Como and Lake Garda.
The lake basin has tectonic-glacial origins and its volume is 37 cubic kilometres (9 cu mi). The lake has a surface area of about 213 square kilometres (82 sq mi), a maximum length of 54 km (34 mi) (on a straight line) and, at its widest, is 12 km (7 mi). Its main tributaries are the Ticino, the Maggia (forming a very large delta), the Toce (by which it receives the outflow of Lake Orta) and the Tresa (which is the sole emissary of Lake Lugano). The rivers Verzasca, Giona, and Cannobino also flow into the lake. Its outlet is the Ticino which, in turn, joins the river Po just south-east of Pavia.
The lake's jagged banks are surrounded by the Pennine and Lepontine Alps, and Lugano Prealps. Prominent peaks around the lake are the Gridone, Monte Tamaro, Monte Nudo and the Mottarone. The highest mountain overlooking Lake Maggiore is Monte Rosa (4,634 m; 15,203 ft), located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of it. The western bank is in Piedmont (provinces of Novara and Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola) and the eastern in Lombardy (province of Varese), whereas the most northerly section extends 13 kilometres (8 mi) into the canton of Ticino, where it constitutes its lowest point above sea level as well as that of Switzerland. The culminating point of the lake's drainage basin is the Grenzgipfel summit of Monte Rosa at 4,618 metres (15,151 ft) above sea level.
Climate
Lake Maggiore weather is humid subtropical (Cfa in the Köppen climate classification). During winter, the lake helps to maintain a higher temperature in the surrounding region (since water releases heat energy more slowly than air). The temperatures are cooled down in summer by the breezes that blow on the water's surface, changing its colour. The area enjoys nearly 2300 hours of sunshine a year and an average annual temperature of 15.5 °C (60 °F). The water of the lake has a comfortable temperature of 20 to 22 °C (68 to 72 °F) in July and August. In winter snowfall is erratic and primarily affects the higher elevations. Rainfall is heaviest in May and lowest during the winter months.
Flora and fauna
The flora is strongly influenced by the lake basin, which has allowed the proliferation of typically Mediterranean plants, and also of plants native to the Atlantic areas favoured by the composition of the soil and the abundance of siliceous rocks. Lemons, olive trees and bay olive trees grow there. The spontaneous vegetation is composed of yew, holly and chestnut trees on the surrounding hills.
The lake is a habitat to two species of whitefish, Coregonus and, less widespread, Coregonus lavaretus. Both live in deep water and come ashore only during the spawning in early December. There are also perch, pike, chub, burbot, torpedo, eels and Alburnus arborella. The lake is home to several species of nesting waterfowl, it also represents an important corridor, a place of rest and feeding for migrations. For example: common merganser, royal swan, grebes, gulls, cormorants, ducks.
A number of exotic species have established themselves in the lake, including pikeperch, which has been recorded since 1977; wels catfish, which was first noticed in the early 1990s; and ruffe, introduced in the mid-1990s. Wels catfish in excess of 50 kg in weight have been fished from the lake.
Islands
Borromean Islands (three islands and two islets located between Verbania to the north and Stresa to the south)
Isola Bella
Isola Madre
Isola dei Pescatori (or Isola Superiore)
Isolino di San Giovanni (in front of Verbania)
Scoglio della Malghera (between Isola Bella and Isola Pescatori)
Brissago Islands (close to Brissago)
San Pancrazio (or Grande Isola)
Isolino (or Isola Piccola or Isola di Sant’Apollinare)
Castelli di Cannero (three small islands just off the shore from Cannero Riviera)
Isolino Partegora (in the gulf of Angera)
Sacro Monte di Ghiffa
The Sacred Mountain of Ghiffa is a Roman Catholic devotional complex in the comune of Ghiffa, (Piedmont, northern Italy), overlooking Lake Maggiore. It is one of the nine Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy, included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Events
The Spirit of Woodstock Festival is an annual open air festival at the end of July/beginning of August. It is organized in Armeno by the Mirapuri community.
History
The first archaeological findings around the lake belong to nomadic people living in the area in prehistoric types. The first settlements discovered date from the Copper Age. Along the shores of the lake, between the 9th and 4th centuries BC. J.-C., develops the Golasecca culture, Celts civilization of the iron age. The latter was in turn conquered by the Romans, who called the lake Verbanus Lacus or Lacus Maximus. In Roman times a maritime line was created that linked the lake, thanks to Ticino, to Pavia, from where the ships would then continue along the Po to the Adriatic Sea.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the lake was under different domains. Most of the current settlements originated in the Middle Ages when the lake was under the Della Torre, Visconti, the Borromeo and Habsburg families.
Clashes also took place on the waters of the lake between military fleets, such as in 1263, when the Della Torre ships fought against those of the Visconti near Arona or, between 1523 and 1524, when the Borromeo clashed against Francesco II Sforza and in 1636 between French and Spanish always in the waters between Arona and Angera.
From the fourteenth century until the end of the eighteenth century, navigation on the lake and on the Ticino was also used to transport the heavy blocks of marble obtained from the quarries located around the lake towards the main Lombard construction sites: the cathedral of Milan and the Certosa di Pavia.
Methane was first discovered and isolated by Alessandro Volta as he analysed marsh gas from Lake Maggiore, between 1776 and 1778.
From the middle of the 19th century, the lake began to experience strong tourist development, particularly after Queen Victoria's stay in Baveno in 1879.
In 1936, a Bugatti Type 22 Brescia Roadster, built 1925, was sunk in the lake by employees of Zürich architect Marco Schmucklerski, when Swiss customs officials investigated whether he had paid taxes on the car. The Bugatti was attached to an iron chain making it possible to recover it once the investigation was over, yet that never happened. When the chain corroded, the car sunk to the lake bed, where it was rediscovered on 18 August 1967 by local diver Ugo Pillon and became a favourite target for divers thereafter. When one of the divers, Damiano Tamagni, was killed in a hold-up on 1 February 2008, his friends from the Ascona divers' club decided to lift and sell the car wreck to raise funds for a yet-to-be-created foundation named after the victim. The remains of the Bugatti were recovered on 12 July 2009. The sale took place at the Retro Mobile classic car exhibition in Paris on 23 January 2010. It was sold for €260,500.
In May 2021, a cable car collapsed near the lake, killing 14 people.
In May 2023 a boat capsized in a storm while travelling between Arona and Sesto Calende, killing 4 people. Among the dead were 2 Italian intelligence agents as well as a former agent of Mossad.
The Hotel Meina incident at Lake Maggiore
This incident is part of the Lake Maggiore massacres during WWII.
Meina is a municipality located 77 kilometres (48 miles) northwest of Milan, on the southern shores of Lake Maggiore. The Hotel Meina was located north of the town of Meina and was owned by Alberto and Eugenia Behar, Sephardic Jews who had moved to Italy from Constantinople. In September 1943, an armistice was declared between Italy and the Allies. At that time, the Hotel Meina housed a number of Jewish guests, most of them escapees of the Nazi occupation of Greece. The area around Lake Maggiore was not under Allied control but was occupied by the German Waffen-SS, specifically the infamous Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. Captain Hans Krüger, who directed operations in Meina and the surrounding villages, was in charge of locating the Jews in that area and was responsible for the Lake Maggiore massacres in which approximately 54 Jews were murdered.
On the night of 22 September 1943, most of the Jewish residents of the Hotel Meina were executed and their bodies were thrown into Lake Maggiore. The Fernandez-Diaz family, a family of Greek Sephardic Jews from Thessaloniki, barricaded themselves in one of the fourth-floor hotel rooms. It took an extra day for the Germans to reach and execute them. The family included three young children whose lives were not spared despite pleas from older family members. Among those killed were Dino Fernandez-Diaz (76 years old), Pierre Fernandez-Diaz (46), Liliane (Scialom) Fernandez-Diaz (36), Jean Fernandez-Diaz (17), Robert Fernandez-Diaz (13), Blanchette Fernandez-Diaz (12), Marco Mosseri (55), Ester Botton (52), Giacomo Renato Mosseri (22), Odette Uziel (19), Raoul Torres (48), Valerie Nahoum Torres (49), and Daniele Modiano (51). In total, sixteen Jewish residents of the hotel were executed. Its owners, the Behar family, survived due to the efforts of the Turkish consulate.
The Italian police report on the Meina massacre was lost but resurfaced in 1994, along with hundreds of other files of war crimes committed post-armistice by Germans who still occupied or were retreating from Italian soil. These files had been hidden in a wooden cabinet, the so-called "cabinet of shame", discovered in a storeroom of the military prosecutor's headquarters.
Germany does not extradite its citizens convicted of war crimes in other countries. Those responsible for the Meina massacre were tried at home in Germany in 1968, convicted and sentenced to life in prison. However, in 1970, the German Supreme Court declared the statute of limitations for those particular war crimes to have expired, and the prisoners were released.
References in literature and popular culture
Lake Maggiore is featured in American writer Ernest Hemingway's novel A Farewell to Arms. The protagonist (Frederic Henry) and his lover (Catherine Barkley) are forced to cross the transnational border within the lake in a row boat to escape Italian carabinieri.
It also appeared as the location of a fictional racetrack in the racing game Gran Turismo Sport and Gran Turismo 7.
Die Flippers, a German Schlager group wrote a song called "Lago Maggiore" that appears on their 1990 album Sieben Tage Sonnenschein.
(Wikipedia)
Cannobio is a town and comune on the river Cannobino and the shore of Lago Maggiore in Piedmont, Italy.
History
The local inhabitants probably became subject to Roman rule by the time of the emperor Augustus. Sarcophagi from the 2nd–3rd century CE have been found and conserved in the "Palazzo della Ragione".
The first documented mention of Cannobio dates to 909. During medieval times, the town became a center for wool and tanning industries, as well as the lumber trade. Cannobio was named as a village by 1207, and was granted administrative autonomy. The Palazzo della Ragione was constructed by 1291 under the government of the podestà Ugolino da Mandello.
Cannobio was assigned to the archdiocese of Milan and from 1817 was under the authority of the bishop of Novara. Its "pieve" comprised the areas of Cannobina, Cannero, Brissago and several areas on the eastern side of the lake. The church of St. Vittore, already present in 1076, and with a bell tower from the 13th century, was completely rebuilt between 1733 and 1749. Autonomous rule for the community of Cannobio and its valley came about in 1342, with the spontaneous submission to Luchino and Giovanni Visconti, lords of Milan. From then on, its administration remained closely connected to that of the Duchy of Milan.
In 1522 a painting of the Virgin Mary allegedly started bleeding. Shortly after this apparition, a plague swept through the area devastating lakeside and valley towns and villages, but leaving Cannobio relatively unscathed. Religious minds linked these two events and Cardinal Charles Borromeo ordered a chapel to be built to hold the painting which is still there today.
The economy went through a renewal in the 15th and 16th centuries. The built-up area spread from the original nucleus (the village) down towards the lake. Large residences were built including the Omacini and Pironi palaces.
During the Risorgimento the town repelled an Austrian attack from the lake (27–28 May 1859) and was visited by Giuseppe Garibaldi in 1862. The opening of the lakeside road to the Swiss border in 1863 created favorable conditions for the arrival of factories, including silk mills.
In 1927 the territory of the comune of Cannobio was extended to incorporate some small villages in the vicinity (Traffiume, Sant’Agata, San Bartolomeo). During the Second World War the people of Cannobio rose up against the Nazi and fascist regime, from 2 to 9 September 1944, and proclaimed the Republic of the Ossola. Since the end of the war the community has undergone further changes. From 1995 the town has come within the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.
Main sights
The large lakefront piazza named after King Victor Emmanuel III was given a major refurbishment when in the winter of 2003–04 it was completely relaid in cobblestones and granite slabs. Also added was of a set of wide flagstone steps down to the lake, where people may sit and watch the lake steamers come and go from the landing stages nearby, and the sailing boats and wind-surfers skimming across the lake.
Some of the buildings both on the lakefront and further back in the old part of town date back over 600 years, from when Cannobio was a renowned smuggling town, and most of these have been restored in fine style.
From one, Giuseppe Garibaldi addressed the people of Cannobio in 1859, and on another stands a plaque celebrating an important event in Cannobio in 1627. Each building is painted a different colour, creating a traditional Italian port scene. To one side of the Piazza is Cannobio’s old harbour, which houses the sailing, rowing and speedboats belonging to the locals.
The Santuario della Pietà church commemorates the events of 1522, when a painting of the Virgin Mary was believed to have bled. With its open dome it stands by the lakeside. The painting itself is now housed in another church in the town, and though it is not removed itself, a "Sacra Costa", representing the painting, is processed through the streets on 7 January every year.
Cannobio has its own "Lido" at the north end of town with a large sandy beach. The beach has a European Union Blue Flag for its cleanliness and facilities.
(Wikipedia)
Der Lago Maggiore (italienisch, der Grössere See), italienisch auch Lago Verbano (von lateinisch Lacus Verbanus), lombardisch Lagh Maggior, in der Schweiz noch deutsch Langensee, ist ein in den italienischen Regionen Piemont und Lombardei sowie im Schweizer Kanton Tessin gelegener, von dem gleichnamigen Hauptzu- und -abfluss Tessin durchflossener oberitalienischer See.
Beschreibung
Der Lago Maggiore ist schmal, gekurvt sowie verästelt und wird von Nord nach Süd durchflossen. Er nimmt 212,5 km² Fläche ein, wovon 19,9 % – im Norden – zur Schweiz und 80,1 % zu Italien gehören. Er reicht von der südlichen Alpenkette bis an den westlichen Rand der Poebene. Wie die anderen oberitalienischen Seen entstand er beim Abschmelzen eiszeitlicher Gletscher. Vor allem sein Nordteil ist von hohen Bergen umgeben.
Der See ist 64,37 km lang und bis zu 10 km breit. Er ist nach dem Gardasee der flächenmässig zweitgrösste See Italiens. Der Seespiegel liegt im Mittel bei 193 m ü. M. und bildet damit den tiefsten Punkt der Schweiz. Die grösste Tiefe beträgt 372 m. Der Seegrund reicht damit bis zu 179 m unter den Meeresspiegel.
Das Einzugsgebiet beträgt 6386 km² (3326 km² in der Schweiz und 3060 km² in Italien).
Von der Fischerei im Lago Maggiore leben mehrere Berufsfischer. Der Gesamtertrag liegt bei 150 Tonnen pro Jahr.
Seit 1826 gibt es auf dem See eine Passagierschifffahrt. 1852 wurde sie vom Österreichischen Lloyd übernommen und neu organisiert. Heute betreibt der italienische Staatsbetrieb Gestione governativa navigazione laghi mit Sitz in Mailand mit der Navigazione del Lago Maggiore (NLM) eine Flotte von 25 Schiffen, darunter der noch betriebsfähige Raddampfer Piemonte. Die lokale Schifffahrt auf Schweizer Territorium wird seit 2018 von der Società Navigazione del Lago di Lugano wahrgenommen.
Der Hauptzu- und -abfluss ist der Tessin (italienisch: Ticino). Er mündet bei Magadino in den See ein. Das Mündungsgebiet, die Bolle di Magadino, (wörtlich: Blase …) ist ein artenreiches Naturschutzgebiet.
Weiter westlich mündet die Maggia. Sie bringt ständig Geschiebe mit sich, so dass das Maggia-Delta heute weit in den See hinausreicht. Östlich des Deltas liegt Locarno, das vor allem durch sein Filmfestival und die Wallfahrtskirche Madonna del Sasso bekannt ist, auf der Westseite Ascona mit seiner Seepromenade und dem Monte Verità. Im Hinterland teilt sich das Tal bei Ponte Brolla ins Centovalli zur linken und das Maggiatal zur rechten Seite. Im Norden mündet die Verzasca in den See, vor allem bekannt durch eine Brücke, die Ponte dei Salti, und die 220 m hohe Staumauer.
Der hydrologisch bedeutendste Zufluss des Sees ist allerdings der Toce, da dieser durchschnittlich etwas mehr Wasser als der Tessin in den See einbringt. Allerdings sind die natürlichen Wassermengen dieser Flüsse aufgrund zahlreicher Wasserableitungen zur Stromgewinnung seit Jahrzehnten von Menschenhand reguliert.
Grösste Stadt am See ist Verbania mit ihren Teilorten Intra und Pallanza. Sehenswert sind die Botanischen Gärten der Villa Taranto (0,16 km²), ein Geschenk ihres Gründers, Kapitän Neil Mac Eacharn, an Italien. Tausende aus aller Welt importierte Pflanzen, sowie seltene, in Europa zum Teil auch einzigartige botanische Sammlungen lassen sich hier studieren. Südlich von Verbania weitet sich der See zum Golf von Verbania, wo der Toce in den See einmündet.
Am Golf liegt Stresa, das mit seinen Belle-Epoque-Villen und -Hotelpalästen heute noch den Charme eines mondänen Nobelkurortes ausstrahlt. In Stresa befindet sich die Villa Pallavicino mit ihrem Park und einem Zoologischen Garten. Jahrhundertealte Bäume und viele freilebende Tierarten sind dort zu sehen. In der Stadt fanden einige historisch bedeutsame Konferenzen statt (1. und 2. Konferenz von Stresa 1935 beziehungsweise 1958, Bilderberg-Konferenz 2004).
Weiter südlich liegt die Stadt Arona. Zwei Kilometer nördlich von Arona wurde 1624 eine 23 m hohe Kupfer-Kolossalstatue (35 m mit Sockel) von Karl Borromäus errichtet, die bis zum Bau der Freiheitsstatue in New York die höchste innen begehbare Statue war.
Südlich des Sees liegt bei Sesto Calende ein unter Naturschutz stehendes Auengebiet.
Auf der Ostseite liegen der Ort Angera mit der mittelalterlichen Burg Rocca di Angera, das in den steil aufragenden Felsen hineingebaute Kloster Santa Caterina del Sasso sowie die Stadt Luino mit ihrem bekannten Wochenmarkt.
Sacro Monte di Ghiffa
Der Pilgerweg mit einer Gruppe der Kapellen Sacro Monte di Ghiffa ist eine Wallfahrtsstätte in der Nähe des Orts Ghiffa im Piemont. Sie ist seit 2003 als Teil der Sacri Monti in die Liste des Weltkulturerbes der UNESCO eingetragen.
Inseln
Bei Brissago liegen die zwei Isole di Brissago mit ihrem botanischen Garten: Isola di San Pancrazio (Isola Grande) und Isola di Sant’Apollinare (Isolino). Nördlich von Cannero Riviera liegen auf zwei Inselchen die Castelli di Cannero.
Stresa vorgelagert sind drei der fünf Borromäischen Inseln: Isola Bella und Isola dei Pescatori (auch bekannt als Isola Superiore), sowie zwischen den beiden das Inselchen Scoglio della Malghera. Die restlichen beiden, Isolino di San Giovanni und Isola Madre, sind dem gegenüberliegenden Verbania vorgelagert.
Vor Angera liegt die kleine Insel Isolino Partegora.
Tier- und Pflanzenwelt
Vegetation
Die Flora des Lago Maggiore wird häufig mit dem Begriff „Insubrische Flora“ umschrieben. Das Gebiet gehört zu den regenreichsten in Italien und der Schweiz. Der höchste Wert von fast 3000 mm pro Jahr wird im Valle Cannobina (Provinz VCO) erreicht, in der Provinz Varese sind es bei Vararo 2000 mm. Die Alpenkette nördlich des Sees und die oft hohen und steilen Berge des Gebietes schützen ihn vor den kalten Winden aus dem Norden, weshalb das Klima mild ist. Sehr ausgeprägt sind die mikroklimatischen Unterschiede zwischen den steilen Südhängen in der Nähe des Sees, und den höher gelegenen, nach Norden ausgerichteten Orten. Dies führt zu einer sehr vielfältigen und interessanten Flora. Die Kombination aus hohen Niederschlägen und mildem Klima begünstigt ein sehr üppiges Wachstum, wie es kaum an einem anderen Ort in Europa anzutreffen ist und ermöglicht es besondere Pflanzen wie Kamelien zu kultivieren, die diese speziellen Bedingungen benötigen. Ein großer Teil des Gebiets ist mit Wald bedeckt, der nach dem Abholzen oder den häufigen Waldbränden schnell nachwächst.
Sehr wichtig für die Flora ist auch, ob der Boden kalkhaltig oder sauer ist. Auf der piemontesischen und der Tessiner Seite des Lago Maggiore ist das Gestein fast überall sauer, ausser in einigen sehr kleinen kalkigen Einschlüssen. Dasselbe gilt für die lombardische Seite des Sees nördlich von Luino und auf den Moränenhügeln im äußersten Südosten in Richtung Sesto Calende. Hier, in Höhenlagen bis etwa 800–1000 m, dominieren überall die oft fast reinen Kastanienwälder. Zwischen 1000 m und etwa 1700 m wachsen hauptsächlich saure Buchenwälder. Darüber lichten sich die Wälder und man findet den Bergahorn (Acer pseudoplatanus) und die Birke (Betula pendula). Hier und auf der montanen Höhenstufe an waldfreien Orten (z. B. aufgrund Rodung oder Waldbrand) finden sich ausgedehnte Flächen mit Pfeifengras (Molinia arundinacea), Adlerfarn (Pteridium aquilinum) und Besenginster (Cytisus scoparius), welcher die Hänge oft weithin mit seinen intensiven, gelben Blüten ziert.
Die niedrig gelegenen Gebiete wie das Ossolatal, die Magadinoebene, das Tal der Tresa, das Valcuvia und das untere Varesotto sind oft stark anthropisiert und sehr dicht besiedelt. Die Landwirtschaft beschränkt sich hauptsächlich auf diese Gebiete, wobei sie allerdings wegen den mageren Böden nicht sehr intensiv ist und hauptsächlich aus Mähwiesen und Maisfeldern besteht. Eine Ausnahme ist die Magadinoebene, wo aus politischen Gründen eine intensivere Landwirtschaft gefördert wird um die Selbstversorgung der Schweiz zu gewährleisten. Dank der starken Förderung hat sich hier trotz nicht optimalen Bedingungen (nasses Klima, schlechte Böden) auch ein intensiver Weinbau erhalten, der auf der italienischen Seite des Sees fast vollständig zum Erliegen gekommen ist. Wo in diesen Gebieten noch Wald vorhanden ist, besteht er hauptsächlich aus Stieleiche (Quercus robur), Esche (Fraxinus excelsior) und Robinie (Robinia pseudoacacia) sowie vereinzelt aus Kastanie (Castanea sativa) und Ulme (Ulmus minor).
Eine andere Flora findet sich im zentralen östlichen Teil des Sees in der Provinz Varese, wo das Substrat kalkhaltig ist. Auch hier wachsen vor allem Kastanienwälder, aber östlich des Campo dei Fiori werden die Hainbuchenwälder (Orno-Ostrietum, Carpinion orientalis) mit Manna-Esche (Fraxinus ornus) und Hopfenbuche (Ostrya carpinifolia) häufiger, die in den südöstlichen italienischen Alpen sehr verbreitet sind. Diese sind zusammen mit den Kastanienwäldern charakteristisch für die submediterrane Übergangsflora zwischen der gemässigten, mitteleuropäischen und derjenigen des Mittelmeerraums. Besonders artenreich sind in diesem Gebiet die Trockenwiesen, die an den wenigen Stellen, die weder bebaut noch bewaldet sind, auf dolomitischen und kalkhaltigen Felsen mit wenig tiefgründigem Boden vorkommen. Die interessantesten Trockenwiesen befinden sich auf dem Monte Sangiano in der Nähe des gleichnamigen Dorfes. Einige Pflanzenarten wachsen um den Lago Maggiore herum nur dort, wie das Apenninen-Sonnenröschen (Helianthemum apenninum), Inula spiraeifolia und einige typische Steppenpflanzen wie sie auch in Zentralasien vorkommen, darunter das Federgras (Stipa eriocaulis) und der Steifhalm (Kengia serotina). Weitere Trockenwiesen gibt es auf den Pizzoni di Laveno, in der Nähe von Vararo, am Campo dei Fiori und oberhalb von Rasa, nördlich von Varese.
Die interessantesten Lebensräume der Gegend sind wahrscheinlich die Feuchtgebiete, in denen einige vom Aussterben bedrohten Arten ihrer letzten Vorkommen in Italien haben. Die Feuchtgebiete sind wohl wegen der außergewöhnlichen Niederschlagsmenge und der zahlreichen Seen und Flüsse so gut vertreten. Zu den bedrohten Arten, die auf der italienischen roten Liste stehen, gehört die Wasserkastanie (Trapa natans), die im Naturschutzgebiet Fondotoce und in den kleineren Seen von Varese und Comabbio vorkommt. Weitere Arten auf der Roten Liste sind Hottonia palustris, die am See bei Brebbia vorkommt, und das Echte Pfeilkraut (Sagittaria sagittifolia), das um die kleineren Seen von Varese und Comabbio gefunden wurde, aber wahrscheinlich ausgestorben ist. Auch die Seekanne (Nymphoides peltata), die im Lago di Comabbio vorkommt, hat in Italien hier einer ihrer letzten Vorkommen. Bemerkenswert sind auch die Relikt-Torfmoore von Valganna und Cavagnano, wo sehr seltene Pflanzen wie der Mittlerer Sonnentau (Drosera intermedia) und die Blumenbinse (Scheuchzeria palustris) wachsen, die in der Roten Liste der Lombardei aufgeführt sind.
Unberührte und außergewöhnlich warme Orte befinden sich nur noch an schwer zugänglichen Orten an steilen Felsen über dem See. Überraschenderweise ist hier bereits eine rein mediterrane Art zu finden, die Salbeiblättrige Zistrose (Cistus salviifolia; Locarnese, Mont'Orfano, Santa Caterina usw.). In den wärmeren, stärker anthropogen geprägten Gebieten in der Nähe der Dörfer tritt das Phänomen der Laurophyllisierung auf, bei dem sich dichte Wälder aus exotischen immergrünen Gehölzen wie der Hanfpalme (Trachycarpus fortunei) und dem Lorbeer (Laurus nobilis) bilden.
Tierwelt
Da verschiedene Fischarten des Lago Maggiores im deutschen Sprachraum nicht vorkommen, werden zum Teil die italienischen Bezeichnungen angegeben. Im See lebt eine Felchen-Fischart, die lokal Lavarello genannt wird und ein beliebter Speisefisch ist. Sie lebt in tiefen Gewässern und kommt nur während der Laichzeit Anfang Dezember an Land. Der See beherbergt auch Agon, Barsch, Hecht, den Cavedano, einen in Italien, im angrenzenden Dalmatien und Südfrankreich endemischen Fisch (Squalius squalus), Quappe, Wels, Aal und die Alborella (Alburnus arborella), ebenfalls ein in Italien und Dalmatien endemischer Fisch sowie Forellen.
Am See gibt es etliche nistende Wasservögel, zum Beispiel: Gänsesäger, Schwan, Haubentaucher, Möwe, Kormoran und Ente. Außerdem ist er ein wichtiger Korridor, Rastplatz und Futterplatz für den Vogelzug.
Schifffahrt
Die Linienschifffahrt auf dem See begann bereits 1826 mit der im Vorjahr gegründeten Impresa Lombardo-Sardo-Ticinese mit dem Dampfschiff Verbano. Im Jahr 1853 nahm eine zweite Gesellschaft, der Lloyd Austriaco, den Dienst mit dem Dampfschiff Taxis auf. Die Impresa Lombardo-Sardo-Ticinese ging 1853 in Konkurs und verkaufte die Dampfschiffe an die Regierung des Königreichs Sardinien. Während des Zweiten Unabhängigkeitskrieges (1859) wurden die Dampfer bewaffnet und es kam sogar zu Gefechten (die österreichische Radetzky wurde von der aufständischen Bevölkerung schwer beschädigt) und fanden schließlich in neutralen Schweizer Gewässern Schutz. Der bankrotte Österreichische Lloyd verkaufte seine drei Schiffe an die Schweizer Regierung, die sie an die sardische Regierung übergab.
1867 gingen die Schiffe in den Besitz der neu gegründeten Mailänder Gesellschaft Innocente Mangili über, die von 1876 bis 1909, zur Zeit der Belle Époque, acht große Salonraddampfer und bis 1914 fünf Schraubendampfer in Dienst stellte. Im Jahr 1896 stationierte die Regia Guardia di Finanza eine Flottille kleiner Torpedoboote in Cannobio; im selben Jahr sank eines davon, die Locusta, bei einem Sturm mit der gesamten Besatzung.
Während des Ersten Weltkriegs ging die Mangili-Gesellschaft in Konkurs und die Schiffe wurden von der Regierung verwaltet, mit katastrophalen Ergebnissen; 1923 gingen sie schließlich an die Società Subalpina Imprese Ferroviarie über, die eine drastische Erneuerung der Flotte durchführte: Bis auf sechs wurden alle größeren Dampfer verschrottet (drei Rad- und drei Schraubendampfer), zwei weitere wurden auf Dieselmotoren umgerüstet, und zehn neue Motorschiffe wurden gebaut. 1929 nahm die Autofähre San Cristoforo, die durch den Umbau eines Lastkahns entstanden war, den Autoverkehr auf, und vier Jahre später wurde eine zweite San Cristoforo, die erste echte Fähre auf den italienischen Seen, in Betrieb genommen. 1938 eröffneten die Tessiner Regionalbahnen den Betrieb auf der Schweizer Seite.
Während des Zweiten Weltkriegs versenkten zwischen dem 25. und 26. September 1944 die alliierte Luftangriffe die Dampfer Genua, Mailand und Turin. In den ersten beiden Fällen gab es 34 bzw. 26 Todesopfer. Bei anderen Angriffen wurden die Motorschiffe Monfalcone und Magnolia beschädigt. Am 16. April 1948 ging die Verwaltung der Schifffahrtsgesellschaft des Langensees (italienisch NLM) an ein Regierungskommissariat über, das mehrere neue Schiffe bauen liess. Das erste Tragflächenboot wurde 1953 in Dienst gestellt; 1956 kaufte die italienische Gesellschaft die Schweizer Flotte.
Die italienische NLM kündigte 2016 aus finanziellen Gründen die Betriebseinstellung im Schweizer Becken auf Ende Jahr an, nachdem im Nachzug der Finanzkrise 2008 vier Jahre später ihre Subventionen aus Rom um 45 % gekürzt worden sind. Nach Interventionen aus der Schweiz wurde dieser Termin um ein Jahr verschoben, um eine Lösung zu finden. Zudem erneuerte die Schweiz Ende Dezember 2016 die letztmals 1992 erteilte Konzession der NLM für die Passagierschifffahrt auch im Tessiner Teil des Langensees auf weitere zehn Jahre hinaus.
Für die Schiffskurse im Schweizer Becken des Langensees wurde ein internationales Konsortium gegründet, an der sowohl die italienische staatliche Betreibergesellschaft Gestione Governativa Navigazione Laghi (GGNL), der die NLM unterstellt ist, als auch die schweizerische Luganersee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft beteiligt sind. Die italienische NLM stellt für das Schweizer Langensee-Becken 5 ihrer 30 Schiffe zur Verfügung.
Ereignisse
Hochwasser
Beim Hochwasser von 2000 überflutete der See weite Gebiete der anliegenden Gemeinden.
Seilbahnunglück
Beim Seilbahnunfall am Monte Mottarone stürzte am 23. Mai 2021 oberhalb des Sees eine Gondel mit nicht funktionierender Notbremseinrichtung ab, 14 Menschen starben.
Feuer
Waldbrände oberhalb des Sees sind keine Seltenheit. Für denjenigen, der am 30. Januar 2022 ausbrach, siehe den Artikel Waldbrand am Lago Maggiore.
Globale Erwärmung
Seit März 2022 hat es (Stand 23. Juni 2022) in vielen norditalienischen Regionen nicht mehr geregnet. Wegen des milden Winters 2021/22 ist kaum Schmelzwasser in die norditalienischen Täler und Ebenen geflossen. Alle norditalienischen Seen sind betroffen, am stärksten der Lago Maggiore und der Comer See. Für die Bewässerung in der Landwirtschaft und die Energieerzeugung in einem nahegelegenen Wasserkraftwerk stehen nur 20 % der üblichen Wassermenge zur Verfügung. Laut Landwirtschaftsverband CIA (Confederazione italiana agricoltori) bedroht die Wasserknappheit rund die Hälfte der landwirtschaftlichen Produktion Norditaliens. Der Schaden für die Bauern betrage mindestens 2 Milliarden Euro. Der Präsident der Region Piemont hat Mitte Juni 2022 angeordnet, dass in 170 Städten und Gemeinden das Wasser nur noch für lebenswichtige Zwecke wie Trinken und Lebensmittelzubereitung verwendet werden darf.
Siehe auch: Temperaturanomalien im Jahr 2022 und Dürre und Hitze in Europa 2022
Auch der Winter 2022/23 war ausgesprochen trocken, so dass der Pegel über mehrere Monate unter dem Durchschnitt lag. Durch intensive Regenfälle wurde im Mai und Juni 2023 ein überdurchschnittlicher Pegel verzeichnet. Im Juli und August lag der Pegel wieder unter dem Durchschnitt, bevor er Ende August 2023 wegen Dauerregen in die Höhe schoss und mit Stand vom 3. September 2023 nach wie vor über dem Durchschnitt liegt.
Schiffsunglück der Goduria
Am 28. Mai 2023, kurz nach 19 Uhr MESZ kenterte "in der Nähe von Lisanza" (Lisanza ist Fraktion der Gemeinde Sesto Calende, am südlichsten Teil des Sees, linksufrig, höchstens geschätzt 5 km weg vom Abfluss), 150 m vom Ufer entfernt, während eines plötzlich auftretenden Unwetters das überladene Boot Goduria (ital. Vergnügen, Zulassung für 15 Personen, 1982 gebaut) mit 25 Personen. 14 erreichten schwimmend das Ufer, 7 wurden von einigen vorbeifahrenden Booten aufgenommen, 4 starben. Laut Informationen in der Presse waren fast alle Gäste Geheimdienstmitarbeiter aus Italien und von Israels Mossad.
Film
Der Musikfilm Lieder klingen am Lago Maggiore (1962) spielt teilweise am Lago Maggiore.
Der US-Kriegsfilm In einem anderen Land (A Farewell to Arms) unter der Regie von Charles Vidor wurde teilweise in Stresa am Lago Maggiore gedreht.
Namensgeber
1994 wurde der Asteroid (3883) Verbano nach dem See benannt.
(Wikipedia)
Cannobio (nicht zu verwechseln mit Canobbio in der Schweiz) ist eine italienische Gemeinde in der Provinz Verbano-Cusio-Ossola (VB) in der Region Piemont und ist Träger der Bandiera Arancione des TCI.
Geographie
Die Gemeinde liegt am westlichen Ufer des Lago Maggiore und ist die erste größere Ortschaft nach der Grenze zur Schweiz in Piaggio Valmara. Cannobio liegt auf dem Schwemmkegel des Flüsschens Cannobino, im Hinterland dehnt sich das Valle Cannobina aus.
Die Gemeinde umfasst eine Fläche von 52,53 km². Zu Cannobio gehören die Fraktionen Campeglio, Carmine Superiore, Carmine Inferiore, Cinzago, Formine, Marchile, Piaggio Valmara, Pianoni, Ronco, Sant’Agata, San Bartolomeo Valmara, Socraggio, Socragno und Traffiume.
Geschichte
Cannobio war vermutlich schon in vorrömischer Zeit besiedelt. Der Name geht zurück auf das römische Canobinum. Zur Römerzeit galt der Ort wegen seiner günstigen Lage als bedeutendes strategisches und wirtschaftliches Zentrum.
929 beherbergte die Ortschaft einen Königshof (curtis regia). Die Anlage wurde später den Erzbischöfen von Mailand unterstellt. 1207 erhielt Cannobio den Titel eines Borgo.
Im 12. Jahrhundert wurde die Stadt eine freie Kommune, bis sie sich 1342 freiwillig der Familie Visconti unterwarf, deren Herrschaft 1441 als Lehensherrschaft an Vitaliano Borromeo überging. Von dieser Epoche zeugen bis heute die zwischen dem 14. und 19. Jahrhundert erbauten Paläste.
Sehenswürdigkeiten
Cannobio besitzt einen historischen Stadtkern und ist ein beliebtes Ausflugsziel.
Die Pfarrkirche San Vittore mit romanischem Turm wurde im 17. Jahrhundert erbaut, die Eingangsfassade stammt aus dem Jahr 1842. Sie beherbergt eine Orgel von Luigi Maroni Biroldi aus Varese aus dem Jahr 1837.
Die Wallfahrtskirche Santissima Pietà wurde 1575–1614 erbaut, dann 1583 von Sankt Karl Borromäus nach einem Entwurf von Pietro Beretta aus Brissago TI wieder aufgebaut. Die Fassade ist das Ergebnis einer Rekonstruktion von Febo Bottini von 1909. Das Innere besteht aus einem einzigen Schiff mit einer üppigen barocken Dekoration. Über dem Altar befindet sich ein wertvolles Altarbild Aufstieg zum Kalvarienberg von Gaudenzio Ferrari und Giovan Battista della Cerva.
Das Oratorium Santa Marta wurde 1581 erbaut und zeigt über dem Hochaltar das Gemälde Madonna col Bambino des Malers Camillo Procaccini (* 3. März 1561 in Parma; † 21. August 1629 in Mailand).
Der Palazzo della Ragione, genannt Parrasio, wurde zwischen 1291 und 1294 vom Podestà Ugolino Mandello erbaut und im Laufe des 17. Jahrhunderts umgebaut.
Der städtische Turm in romanischer Bauweise stammt aus dem 12. Jahrhundert. Es ist aus Stein gebaut und ist eigentlich der Glockenturm der alten Kirche San Vittore.
Die Rocca Vitaliana ist als die Burgen von Cannero bekannt. Auf den Felseninseln, die aus dem Wasser des Sees hervorgehen, kann man die Ruinen alter Festungsanlagen sehen. Sie wurden zwischen dem 11. und 12. Jahrhundert gebaut.
Uferpromenade
Markt an der Promenade (sonntags)
Hängebrücke Ponte ballerino (Tänzerbrücke) über den Fluss Cannobino.
Lido Cannobio, ein sehr schöner öffentlicher Badestrand mit Liegewiese
In der Umgebung:
Tal und Schlucht des Gießbaches Cannobino
Kirche Sant’Anna erbaut 1638 hoch über der Schlucht des Cannobino
Kirche Sant’Agata mit Aussicht auf den Lago Maggiore
Mineralwasserquelle Fonte Carlina
Mittelalterliches Dorf Carmine Superiore
Regelmäßige Veranstaltungen
Jedes Jahr am Vorabend des 8. Januar findet in Cannobio das Fest der Allerheiligsten Pietà mit einer eindrucksvollen Lichterprozession statt.
(Wikipedia)
"Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything
About the World" by Tim Marshall -- updated to April 2025
One of Tim Marshall's chapters tells us China is leveraging
its secure land borders and economic strength to overcome historical geographical constraints like limited coastline access.
"Globe School" is located in a small village somewhere in Northern Italy. We were surprised to discover a totally untouched classroom in this abandoned elementary school. As it seems everything was left behind here. "Wow", was our first thought. "This room looks just perfect!" But maybe a bit too perfect... Since all the other classrooms aren't as tidy as this one, or even completely empty, we guess that this room was arranged like that. Some other urbex photographers were probably collecting different objects from the other rooms of this school, in order to stage a small class.
Watch this documentary to see and learn more of Globe School: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF-tFPzMzXU
"From Season to Season," of the Geography Foundation Series. Written by Sidman P. Poole, Thomas F. Barton, and Clara Belle Baker. Illustrated by Miriam Story Hurford and Arch F. Hurford. Copyright 1947 by the Bobbs-Merrill Co.
Scans from the May 1973 issue of National Geographic.
More vintage cycling photos at vintagesteel.tumblr.com
Rushmore Cave is the closest show cave to Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the United States. It contains a wide variety of natural formations. It is the ninth longest cave in South Dakota. It measures a distance of 3,652.6 feet (1,113.3 m).
It was discovered in 1876 when a log flume that supplied water to mining operations in town of Hayward broke and spilled onto the side of the hill. As the water flowed down the hill it started flowing into a small hole in the hillside. The local miners who went up to fix the flume noticed this abnormality and became suspicious of where this water was going. After fixing the flume, the men decided to go inside and explore. After about 30 feet (9.1 m), the men came to a large drop off which went down about 15 feet (4.6 m). They exited the cave, and went out into the woods where they cut down a tree and then used this tree as a ladder to access the cave. The miners then noticed that the majority of the cave was made out of limestone. Knowing that limestone doesn't contain any gold deposits, they abandoned the cave as a mining opportunity, and left it alone. Some of the local townspeople heard news of this discovery, and became very curious as to what they might find inside the cave.
The cave was created by a very long process stretching over a 360 million year time period. It started during the Mississippian Period, during which the entire Black Hills area was covered by a large inland sea. In this sea lived many kinds of sea creatures, and crustaceans. As these sea creatures died, their bodies sunk down to the sea floor. The flesh rotted away leaving behind many solid bone fragments which then compressed, and over time hardened into a rock known as limestone.
The cave has a cornucopia of rooms including the Entrance Room, Post Office, Image Room, Big Room, Fairyland, Rope Room, Geode Room, The Rouge Room (Party Room), Arrowhead Room, and the Floral Room.
The cave also includes boxwork and many dripstone formations including stalactites, stalagmites, columns, helictites and flowstone.
South Dakota is a landlocked U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota Sioux tribe, which comprises a large portion of the population with nine reservations currently in the state and has historically dominated the territory. South Dakota is the 17th largest by area, but the 5th least populous, and the 5th least densely populated of the 50 United States. Pierre is the state capital, and Sioux Falls, with a population of about 213,900, is South Dakota's most populous city. The state is bisected by the Missouri River, dividing South Dakota into two geographically and socially distinct halves, known to residents as "East River" and "West River". South Dakota is bordered by the states of North Dakota (to the north), Minnesota (to the east), Iowa (to the southeast), Nebraska (to the south), Wyoming (to the west), and Montana (to the northwest).
Humans have inhabited the area for several millennia, with the Sioux becoming dominant by the early 19th century. In the late 19th century, European-American settlement intensified after a gold rush in the Black Hills and the construction of railroads from the east. Encroaching miners and settlers triggered a number of Indian wars, ending with the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. As the southern part of the former Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889, simultaneously with North Dakota. They are the 39th and 40th states admitted to the union; President Benjamin Harrison shuffled the statehood papers before signing them so that no one could tell which became a state first.
Key events in the 20th century included the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, increased federal spending during the 1940s and 1950s for agriculture and defense, and an industrialization of agriculture that has reduced family farming. Eastern South Dakota is home to most of the state's population, and the area's fertile soil is used to grow a variety of crops. West of the Missouri River, ranching is the predominant agricultural activity, and the economy is more dependent on tourism and defense spending. Most of the Native American reservations are in West River. The Black Hills, a group of low pine-covered mountains sacred to the Sioux, is in the southwest part of the state. Mount Rushmore, a major tourist destination, is there. South Dakota has a temperate continental climate, with four distinct seasons and precipitation ranging from moderate in the east to semi-arid in the west. The state's ecology features species typical of a North American grassland biome.
While several Democrats have represented South Dakota for multiple terms in both chambers of Congress, the state government is largely controlled by the Republican Party, whose nominees have carried South Dakota in each of the last 14 presidential elections. Historically dominated by an agricultural economy and a rural lifestyle, South Dakota has recently sought to diversify its economy in other areas to both attract and retain residents. South Dakota's history and rural character still strongly influence the state's culture.
The history of South Dakota describes the history of the U.S. state of South Dakota over the course of several millennia, from its first inhabitants to the recent issues facing the state.
Human beings have lived in what is today South Dakota for at least several thousand years. Early hunters are believed to have first entered North America at least 17,000 years ago via the Bering land bridge, which existed during the last ice age and connected Siberia with Alaska. Early settlers in what would become South Dakota were nomadic hunter-gatherers, using primitive Stone Age technology to hunt large prehistoric mammals in the area such as mammoths, sloths, and camels. The Paleolithic culture of these people disappeared around 5000 BC, after the extinction of most of their prey species.
Between AD 500 and 800, much of eastern South Dakota was inhabited by a people known as the 'Mound Builders'. The Mound Builders were hunters who lived in temporary villages and were named for the low earthen burial mounds they constructed, many of which still exist. Their settlement seems to have been concentrated around the watershed of the Big Sioux River and Big Stone Lake, although other sites have been excavated throughout eastern South Dakota. Either assimilation or warfare led to the demise of the Mound Builders by the year 800. Between 1250 and 1400 an agricultural people, likely the ancestors of the modern Mandan of North Dakota, arrived from the east and settled in the central part of the state. In 1325, what has become known as the Crow Creek Massacre occurred near Chamberlain. An archeological excavation of the site has discovered 486 bodies buried in a mass grave within a type of fortification; many of the skeletal remains show evidence of scalping and decapitation.
The Arikara, also known as the Ree, began arriving from the south in the 16th century. They spoke a Caddoan language similar to that of the Pawnee, and probably originated in what is now Kansas and Nebraska. Although they would at times travel to hunt or trade, the Arikara were far less nomadic than many of their neighbors, and lived for the most part in permanent villages. These villages usually consisted of a stockade enclosing a number of circular earthen lodges built on bluffs looking over the rivers. Each village had a semi-autonomous political structure, with the Arikara's various subtribes being connected in a loose alliance. In addition to hunting and growing crops such as corn, beans, pumpkin and other squash, the Arikara were also skilled traders, and would often serve as intermediaries between tribes to the north and south It was probably through their trading connections that Spanish horses first reached the region around 1760. The Arikara reached the height of their power in the 17th century, and may have included as many as 32 villages. Due both to disease as well as pressure from other tribes, the number of Arikara villages would decline to only two by the late 18th century, and the Arikara eventually merged entirely with the Mandan to the north.
The sister tribe of the Arikaras, the Pawnee, may have also had a small amount of land in the state. Both were Caddoan and were among the only known tribes in the continental U.S. to have committed human sacrifice, via a religious ritual that occurred once a year. It is said that the U.S. government worked hard to halt this practice before their homelands came to be heavily settled, for fear that the general public might react harshly or refuse to move there.
The Lakota Oral histories tell of them driving the Algonquian ancestors of the Cheyenne from the Black Hills regions, south of the Platte River, in the 18th century. Before that, the Cheyenne say that they were, in fact, two tribes, which they call the Tsitsistas & Sutaio After their defeat, much of their territory was contained to southeast Wyoming & western Nebraska. While they had been able to hold off the Sioux for quite some time, they were heavily damaged by a smallpox outbreak. They are also responsible for introducing the horse to the Lakota.
The Ioway, or Iowa people, also inhabited the region where the modern states of South Dakota, Minnesota & Iowa meet, north of the Missouri River. They also had a sister nation, known as the Otoe who lived south of them. They were Chiwere speaking, a very old variation of Siouan language said to have originated amongst the ancestors of the Ho-Chunk of Wisconsin. They also would have had a fairly similar culture to that of the Dhegihan Sioux tribes of Nebraska & Kansas.
By the 17th century, the Sioux, who would later come to dominate much of the state, had settled in what is today central and northern Minnesota. The Sioux spoke a language of the Siouan language family, and were divided into two culture groups – the Dakota & Nakota. By the early 18th century the Sioux would begin to move south and then west into the plains. This migration was due to several factors, including greater food availability to the west, as well as the fact that the rival Ojibwe & other related Algonquians had obtained rifles from the French at a time when the Sioux were still using the bow and arrow. Other tribes were also displaced during some sort of poorly understood conflict that occurred between Siouan & Algonquian peoples in the early 18th century.
In moving west into the prairies, the lifestyle of the Sioux would be greatly altered, coming to resemble that of a nomadic northern plains tribe much more so than a largely settled eastern woodlands one. Characteristics of this transformation include a greater dependence on the bison for food, a heavier reliance on the horse for transportation, and the adoption of the tipi for habitation, a dwelling more suited to the frequent movements of a nomadic people than their earlier semi-permanent lodges.
Once on the plains, a schism caused the two subgroups of the Sioux to divide into three separate nations—the Lakota, who migrated south, the Asiniboine who migrated back east to Minnesota & the remaining Sioux. It appears to be around this time that the Dakota people became more prominent over the Nakota & the entirety of the people came to call themselves as such.
The Lakota, who crossed the Missouri around 1760 and reached the Black Hills by 1776, would come to settle largely in western South Dakota, northwestern Nebraska, and southwestern North Dakota. The Yankton primarily settled in southeastern South Dakota, the Yanktonnais settled in northeastern South Dakota and southeastern North Dakota, and the Santee settled primarily in central and southern Minnesota. Due in large part to the Sioux migrations, a number of tribes would be driven from the area. The tribes in and around the Black Hills, most notably the Cheyenne, would be pushed to the west, the Arikara would move further north along the Missouri, and the Omaha would be driven out of southeastern South Dakota and into northeastern Nebraska.
Later, the Lakota & Assiniboine returned to the fold, forming a single confederacy known as the Oceti Sakowin, or Seven council fire. This was divided into four cultural groups—the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota & Nagoda-- & seven distinct tribes, each with their own chief—the Nakota Mdewakan (Note—Older attempts at Lakota language show a mistake in writing the sound 'bl' as 'md', such as summer, Bloketu, misprinted as mdoketu. Therefore, this word should be Blewakan.) & Wahpeton, the Dakota Santee & Sisseton, the Nagoda Yankton & Yanktonai & the Lakota Teton. In this form, they were able to secure from the U.S. government a homeland, commonly referred to as Mni-Sota Makoce, or the Lakotah Republic. However, conflicts increased between Sioux & American citizens in the decades leading up the Civil War & a poorly funded & organized Bureau of Indian Affairs had difficulty keeping peace between groups. This eventually resulted in the United States blaming the Sioux for the atrocities & rendering the treaty which recognized the nation of Lakotah null and void. The U.S., however, later recognized their fault in a Supreme Court case in the 1980s after several decades of failed lawsuits by the Sioux, yet little has been done to smooth the issue over to the best interests of both sides.
France was the first European nation to hold any real claim over what would become South Dakota. Its claims covered most of the modern state. However, at most a few French scouting parties may have entered eastern South Dakota. In 1679 Daniel G. Duluth sent explorers west from Lake Mille Lacs, and they may have reached Big Stone Lake and the Coteau des Prairies. Pierre Le Sueur's traders entered the Big Sioux River Valley on multiple occasions. Evidence for these journeys is from a 1701 map by William De L'Isle that shows a trail to below the falls of the Big Sioux River from the Mississippi River.
After 1713, France looked west to sustain its fur trade. The first Europeans to enter South Dakota from the north, the Verendrye brothers, began their expedition in 1743. The expedition started at Fort La Reine on Lake Manitoba, and was attempting to locate an all-water route to the Pacific Ocean. They buried a lead plate inscribed near Ft. Pierre; it was rediscovered by schoolchildren in 1913.
In 1762, France granted Spain all French territory west of the Mississippi River in the Treaty of Fontainebleau. The agreement, which was signed in secret, was motivated by a French desire to convince Spain to come to terms with Britain and accept defeat in the Seven Years' War. In an attempt to secure Spanish claims in the region against possible encroachment from other European powers, Spain adopted a policy for the upper Missouri which emphasized the development of closer trade relations with local tribes as well as greater exploration of the region, a primary focus of which would be a search for a water route to the Pacific Ocean. Although traders such as Jacques D'Eglise and Juan Munier had been active in the region for several years, these men had been operating independently, and a determined effort to reach the Pacific and solidify Spanish control of the region had never been undertaken. In 1793, a group commonly known as the Missouri Company was formed in St. Louis, with the twin goals of trading and exploring on the upper Missouri. The company sponsored several attempts to reach the Pacific Ocean, none of which made it further than the mouth of the Yellowstone. In 1794, Jean Truteau (also spelled Trudeau) built a cabin near the present-day location of Fort Randall, and in 1795 the Mackay-Evans Expedition traveled up the Missouri as far as present-day North Dakota, where they expelled several British traders who had been active in the area. In 1801, a post known as Fort aux Cedres was constructed by Registre Loisel of St. Louis, on Cedar Island on the Missouri about 35 miles (56 km) southeast of the present location of Pierre. This trading post was the major regional post until its destruction by fire in 1810.[30] In 1800, Spain gave Louisiana back to France in the Treaty of San Ildefonso.
In 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon for $11,000,000. The territory included most of the western half of the Mississippi watershed and covered nearly all of present-day South Dakota, except for a small portion in the northeast corner of the state. The region was still largely unexplored and unsettled, and President Thomas Jefferson organized a group commonly referred to as the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore the newly acquired region over a period of more than two years. The expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, was tasked with following the route of the Missouri to its source, continuing on to the Pacific Ocean, establishing diplomatic relations with the various tribes in the area, and taking cartographic, geologic, and botanical surveys of the area. The expedition left St. Louis on May 14, 1804, with 45 men and 15 tons of supplies in three boats (one keelboat and two pirogues). The party progressed slowly against the Missouri's current, reaching what is today South Dakota on August 22. Near present-day Vermillion, the party hiked to the Spirit Mound after hearing local legends of the place being inhabited by "little spirits" (or "devils"). Shortly after this, a peaceful meeting took place with the Yankton Sioux, while an encounter with the Lakota Sioux further north was not as uneventful. The Lakota mistook the party as traders, at one point stealing a horse. Weapons were brandished on both sides after it appeared as though the Lakota were going to further delay or even halt the expedition, but they eventually stood down and allowed the party to continue up the river and out of their territory. In north central South Dakota, the expedition acted as mediators between the warring Arikara and Mandan. After leaving the state on October 14, the party wintered with the Mandan in North Dakota before successfully reaching the Pacific Ocean and returning by the same route, safely reaching St. Louis in 1806. On the return trip, the expedition spent only 15 days in South Dakota, traveling more swiftly with the Missouri's current.
Pittsburgh lawyer Henry Marie Brackenridge was South Dakota's first recorded tourist. In 1811 he was hosted by fur trader Manuel Lisa.
In 1817, an American fur trading post was set up at present-day Fort Pierre, beginning continuous American settlement of the area. During the 1830s, fur trading was the dominant economic activity for the few white people who lived in the area. More than one hundred fur-trading posts were in present-day South Dakota in the first half of the 19th century, and Fort Pierre was the center of activity.[citation needed] General William Henry Ashley, Andrew Henry, and Jedediah Smith of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, and Manuel Lisa and Joshua Pilcher of the St. Louis Fur Company, trapped in that region. Pierre Chouteau Jr. brought the steamship Yellowstone to Fort Tecumseh on the Missouri River in 1831. In 1832 the fort was replaced by Fort Pierre Chouteau Jr.: today's town of Fort Pierre. Pierre bought the Western Department of John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company and renamed it Pratte, Chouteau and Company, and then Pierre Chouteau and Company. It operated in present-day South Dakota from 1834 to 1858. Most trappers and traders left the area after European demand for furs dwindled around 1840.
Main articles: Kansas–Nebraska Act, Nebraska Territory, Organic act § List of organic acts, and Dakota Territory
In 1855, the U.S. Army bought Fort Pierre but abandoned it the following year in favor of Fort Randall to the south. Settlement by Americans and Europeans was by this time increasing rapidly, and in 1858 the Yankton Sioux signed the 1858 "Treaty of Washington", ceding most of present-day eastern South Dakota to the United States.
Land speculators founded two of eastern South Dakota's largest present-day cities: Sioux Falls in 1856 and Yankton in 1859. The Big Sioux River falls was the spot of an 1856 settlement established by a Dubuque, Iowa, company; that town was quickly removed by native residents. But in the following year, May 1857, the town was resettled and named Sioux Falls. That June, St. Paul, Minnesota's Dakota Land Company came to an adjacent 320 acres (130 ha), calling it Sioux Falls City. In June 1857, Flandreau and Medary, South Dakota, were established by the Dakota Land Company. Along with Yankton in 1859, Bon Homme, Elk Point, and Vermillion were among the new communities along the Missouri River or border with Minnesota. Settlers therein numbered about 5,000 in 1860. In 1861, Dakota Territory was established by the United States government (this initially included North Dakota, South Dakota, and parts of Montana and Wyoming). Settlers from Scandinavia, Germany, Ireland, Czechoslovakia[citation needed] and Russia,[citation needed] as well as elsewhere in Europe and from the eastern U.S. states increased from a trickle to a flood, especially after the completion of an eastern railway link to the territorial capital of Yankton in 1872, and the discovery of gold in the Black Hills in 1874 during a military expedition led by George A. Custer.
The Dakota Territory had significant regional tensions between the northern part and the southern part from the beginning, the southern part always being more populated – in the 1880 United States census, the population of the southern part (98,268) was more than two and a half times of the northern part (36,909), and southern Dakotans saw the northern part as bit of disreputable, "controlled by the wild folks, cattle ranchers, fur traders” and too frequently the site of conflict with the indigenous population. Also, the new railroads built connected the northern and southern parts to different hubs – northern part was closer tied to Minneapolis–Saint Paul area; and southern part to Sioux City and from there to Omaha. The last straw was territorial governor Nehemiah G. Ordway moving the territorial capital from Yankton to Bismarck in modern-day North Dakota. As the Southern part had the necessary population for statehood (60,000), they held a separate convention in September 1883 and drafted a constitution. Various bills to divide the Dakota Territory in half ended up stalling, until in 1887, when the Territorial Legislature submitted the question of division to a popular vote at the November general elections, where it was approved by 37,784 votes over 32,913. A bill for statehood for North Dakota and South Dakota (as well as Montana and Washington) titled the Enabling Act of 1889 was passed on February 22, 1889, during the Administration of Grover Cleveland, dividing Dakota along the seventh standard parallel. It was left to his successor, Benjamin Harrison, to sign proclamations formally admitting North and South Dakota to the Union on November 2, 1889. Harrison directed his Secretary of State James G. Blaine to shuffle the papers and obscure from him which he was signing first and the actual order went unrecorded.
With statehood South Dakota was now in a position to make decisions on the major issues it confronted: prohibition, women's suffrage, the location of the state capital, the opening of the Sioux lands for settlement, and the cyclical issues of drought (severe in 1889) and low wheat prices (1893–1896). In early 1889 a prohibition bill passed the new state legislature, only to be vetoed by Governor Louis Church. Fierce opposition came from the wet German community, with financing from beer and liquor interests. The Yankee women organized to demand suffrage, as well as prohibition. Neither party supported their cause, and the wet element counter-organized to block women's suffrage. Popular interest reached a peak in the debates over locating the state capital. Prestige, real estate values and government jobs were at stake, as well as the question of access in such a large geographical region with limited railroads. Huron was the temporary site, centrally located Pierre was the best organized contender, and three other towns were in the running. Real estate speculators had money to toss around. Pierre, population 3200, made the most generous case to the voters—its promoters truly believed it would be the next Denver and be the railway hub of the Dakotas. The North Western railroad came through but not the others it expected. In 1938 Pierre counted 4000 people and three small hotels.
The national government continued to handle Indian affairs. The Army's 1874 Custer expedition took place despite the fact that the western half of present-day South Dakota had been granted to the Sioux by the Treaty of Fort Laramie as part of the Great Sioux Reservation. The Sioux declined to grant mining rights or land in the Black Hills, and the Great Sioux War of 1876 broke out after the U.S. failed to stop white miners and settlers from entering the region. The Sioux were eventually defeated and settled on reservations within South Dakota and North Dakota.
In 1889 Harrison sent general George Crook with a commission to persuade the Sioux to sell half their reservation land to the government. It was believed that the state would not be viable unless more land was made available to settlers. Crook used a number of dubious methods to secure agreement and obtain the land.
On December 29, 1890, the Wounded Knee Massacre occurred on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. It was the last major armed conflict between the United States and the Sioux Nation, the massacre resulted in the deaths of 300 Sioux, many of them women and children. In addition 25 U.S. soldiers were also killed in the episode.
Railroads played a central role in South Dakota transportation from the late 19th century until the 1930s, when they were surpassed by highways. The Milwaukee Road and the Chicago & North Western were the state's largest railroads, and the Milwaukee's east–west transcontinental line traversed the northern tier of the state. About 4,420 miles (7,110 km) of railroad track were built in South Dakota during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, though only 1,839 miles (2,960 km) were active in 2007.
The railroads sold land to prospective farmers at very low rates, expecting to make a profit by shipping farm products out and home goods in. They also set up small towns that would serve as shipping points and commercial centers, and attract businessmen and more farmers. The Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway (M&StL) in 1905, under the leadership of vice president and general manager L. F. Day, added lines from Watertown to LeBeau and from Conde through Aberdeen to Leola. It developed town sites along the new lines and by 1910, the new lines served 35 small communities.
Not all of the new towns survived. The M&StL situated LeBeau along the Missouri River on the eastern edge of the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. The new town was a hub for the cattle and grain industries. Livestock valued at one million dollars were shipped out in 1908, and the rail company planned a bridge across the Missouri River. Allotment of the Cheyenne River Reservation in 1909 promised further growth. By the early 1920s, however, troubles multiplied, with the murder of a local rancher, a fire that destroyed the business district, and drought that ruined ranchers and farmers alike. LeBeau became a ghost town.
Most of the traffic was freight, but the main lines also offered passenger service. After the European immigrants settled, there never were many people moving about inside the state. Profits were slim. Automobiles and busses were much more popular, but there was an increase during World War II when gasoline was scarce. All passenger service was ended in the state by 1969.
In the rural areas farmers and ranchers depended on local general stores that had a limited stock and slow turnover; they made enough profit to stay in operation by selling at high prices. Prices were not marked on each item; instead the customer negotiated a price. Men did most of the shopping, since the main criterion was credit rather than quality of goods. Indeed, most customers shopped on credit, paying off the bill when crops or cattle were later sold; the owner's ability to judge credit worthiness was vital to his success.
In the cities consumers had much more choice, and bought their dry goods and supplies at locally owned department stores. They had a much wider selection of goods than in the country general stores and price tags that gave the actual selling price. The department stores provided a very limited credit, and set up attractive displays and, after 1900, window displays as well. Their clerks—usually men before the 1940s—were experienced salesmen whose knowledge of the products appealed to the better educated middle-class housewives who did most of the shopping. The keys to success were a large variety of high-quality brand-name merchandise, high turnover, reasonable prices, and frequent special sales. The larger stores sent their buyers to Denver, Minneapolis, and Chicago once or twice a year to evaluate the newest trends in merchandising and stock up on the latest fashions. By the 1920s and 1930s, large mail-order houses such as Sears, Roebuck & Co. and Montgomery Ward provided serious competition, making the department stores rely even more on salesmanship and close integration with the community.
Many entrepreneurs built stores, shops, and offices along Main Street. The most handsome ones used pre-formed, sheet iron facades, especially those manufactured by the Mesker Brothers of St. Louis. These neoclassical, stylized facades added sophistication to brick or wood-frame buildings throughout the state.
During the 1930s, several economic and climatic conditions combined with disastrous results for South Dakota. A lack of rainfall, extremely high temperatures and over-cultivation of farmland produced what was known as the Dust Bowl in South Dakota and several other plains states. Fertile topsoil was blown away in massive dust storms, and several harvests were completely ruined. The experiences of the Dust Bowl, coupled with local bank foreclosures and the general economic effects of the Great Depression resulted in many South Dakotans leaving the state. The population of South Dakota declined by more than seven percent between 1930 and 1940.
Prosperity returned with the U.S. entry into World War II in 1941, when demand for the state's agricultural and industrial products grew as the nation mobilized for war. Over 68,000 South Dakotans served in the armed forces during the war, of which over 2,200 were killed.
In 1944, the Pick-Sloan Plan was passed as part of the Flood Control Act of 1944 by the U.S. Congress, resulting in the construction of six large dams on the Missouri River, four of which are at least partially located in South Dakota.[83] Flood control, hydroelectricity and recreational opportunities such as boating and fishing are provided by the dams and their reservoirs.
On the night of June 9–10, 1972, heavy rainfall in the eastern Black Hills caused the Canyon Lake Dam on Rapid Creek to fail. The failure of the dam, combined with heavy runoff from the storm, turned the usually small creek into a massive torrent that washed through central Rapid City. The flood resulted in 238 deaths and destroyed 1,335 homes and around 5,000 automobiles.[84] Damage from the flood totaled $160 million (the equivalent of $664 million today).
On April 19, 1993, Governor George S. Mickelson was killed in a plane crash in Iowa while returning from a business meeting in Cincinnati. Several other state officials were also killed in the crash. Mickelson, who was in the middle of his second term as governor, was succeeded by Walter Dale Miller.
In recent decades, South Dakota has transformed from a state dominated by agriculture to one with a more diversified economy. The tourism industry has grown considerably since the completion of the interstate system in the 1960s, with the Black Hills being especially impacted. The financial service industry began to grow in the state as well, with Citibank moving its credit card operations from New York to Sioux Falls in 1981, a move that has since been followed by several other financial companies. In 2007, the site of the recently closed Homestake gold mine near Lead was chosen as the location of a new underground research facility. Despite a growing state population and recent economic development, many rural areas have been struggling over the past 50 years with locally declining populations and the emigration of educated young adults to larger South Dakota cities, such as Rapid City or Sioux Falls, or to other states. The Cattleman's Blizzard of October 2013 killed tens of thousands of livestock in western South Dakota, and was one of the worst blizzards in the state's history.
Cementiri de Pal at Riu Pal, La Massana, Vall nord, Andorra, Pyrenees
More Pal & La Massana parroquia images: Follow the group links at right side.
.......
About this image:
* Medium format 4x3 (645) high quality image
* Usage: Large format prints optional
* Motive is suitable as symbol pic
* "Andorra authentic" edition (10 years decade 2008-2018)
* "Andorra camis & rutes" active collection
We offer 100.000+ photos of Andorra and North of Spain. HighRes & HighColor GeoCoded stock-photo images including metadata in 4-5 languages. Prepared for an easy systematic organising of large image portfolios with advanced online / print-publishing as "Culture-GIS" (Geographic Info System). The big stockphoto collection from the Pyrenees.
More information about usage, tips, how-to, conditions: www.flickr.com/people/lutzmeyer/. Get quality, data consistency, stable organisation and PR environments: Professional stockphotos for exciting stories - docu, tales, mystic.
Ask for licence! lutz(at)lutz-meyer.com
(c) Lutz Meyer, all rights reserved. Do not use this photo without license.
The Alabama Hills are a range of hills and rock formations near the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada in the Owens Valley, west of Lone Pine in Inyo County, California.
Though geographically separate from the Sierra Nevada, they are part of the same geological formation. The rounded contours of the Alabamas contrast with the sharp ridges of the Sierra Nevada to the west. Though this might suggest that they formed from a different orogeny, the Alabamas are the same age as the Sierra Nevada. The difference in wear can be accounted for by different patterns of erosion.
Dozens of natural arches are among the main attractions at the Alabama Hills. They can be accessed by short hikes from the Whitney Portal Road, the Movie Flat Road and the Horseshoe Meadows Road. Among the notable features of the area are: Mobius Arch, Lathe Arch, the Eye of Alabama and Whitney Portal Arch.
The Alabama Hills were named for the CSS Alabama, a Confederate warship deployed during the American Civil War. When news of the ship's exploits reached prospectors in California sympathetic to the Confederates, they named many mining claims after the ship, and the name came to be applied to the entire range. When the Alabama was finally sunk off the coast of Normandy by the USS Kearsarge in 1864, prospectors sympathetic to the North named a mining district, a mountain pass, a mountain peak, and a town after the Kearsarge.
The Alabama Hills are a popular filming location for television and movie productions, especially Westerns set in an archetypical "rugged" environment. Since the early 1920s, 150 movies and about a dozen television shows have been filmed here, including Tom Mix films, Hopalong Cassidy films, The Gene Autry Show, The Lone Ranger and Bonanza. Meanwhile, Classics such as Gunga Din, The Walking Hills, Yellow Sky, Springfield Rifle, The Violent Men, Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), the Budd Boetticher/Randolph Scott "Ranown" westerns, part of How the West Was Won, and Joe Kidd. In the late 1940s and early 50s the area was also a popular location for the films of B-western actor Tim Holt.
Source: Wikipedia