Longarone
Encyclopedia
Longarone is a town and comune
on the banks of the Piave in the province of Belluno
, in North-East Italy
. It is situated 35 kilometers from Belluno
.
4,642 people work altogether in Longarone, which is 112.62% of the total population, with most actual inhabitants working within the village.
to Cortina d'Ampezzo
, close to the borders of Veneto
with Friuli-Venezia Giulia
. Its nearest villages are Castellavazzo
, Casso
and Erto
.
, In which a few companies of German troops lead by Erwin Rommel
successfully captured an entire Italian Division of over 10,000, retreating after the Battle
of Kobarid
(Caporetto). Rommel was awarded his pour le merite
medal for this achievement.
The village was destroyed in the Vajont
disaster on October 9, 1963, when a landslide from Monte Toc
forced 50 million cubic metres of water (seiche
) over the top of the Vajont Dam
. Longarone lay in the immediate path of the wave of mud and water which swept into the valley
below. 1,909 villagers were killed.
Longarone was rebuilt following the tragedy and is now once again a thriving community. The fortieth anniversary of the disaster was marked, in October 2003, by a commemorative ceremony in Longarone attended by President of the Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
on the banks of the Piave in the province of Belluno
Province of Belluno
TheThe Province of Belluno is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Belluno.It has an area of 3,678 km², and a total population of 214,026 .-Geography:...
, in North-East Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is situated 35 kilometers from Belluno
Belluno
Belluno , is a town and province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Located about 100 kilometres north of Venice, Belluno is the capital of the province of Belluno and the most important city in the Eastern Dolomiti's region. With its roughly 37,000 inhabitants, it the largest populated area...
.
4,642 people work altogether in Longarone, which is 112.62% of the total population, with most actual inhabitants working within the village.
Geography
The town is located on a road linking BellunoBelluno
Belluno , is a town and province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Located about 100 kilometres north of Venice, Belluno is the capital of the province of Belluno and the most important city in the Eastern Dolomiti's region. With its roughly 37,000 inhabitants, it the largest populated area...
to Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town and comune in the southern Alps located in Veneto, a region in Northern Italy. Located in the heart of the Dolomites in an alpine valley, it is a popular winter sport resort known for its ski-ranges, scenery, accommodations, shops and après-ski scene...
, close to the borders of Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
with Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli–Venezia Giulia is one of the twenty regions of Italy, and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The capital is Trieste. It has an area of 7,858 km² and about 1.2 million inhabitants. A natural opening to the sea for many Central European countries, the region is...
. Its nearest villages are Castellavazzo
Castellavazzo
Castellavazzo is a comune in the Province of Belluno in the Italian region Veneto, located about 90 km north of Venice and about 20 km northeast of Belluno...
, Casso
Casso
Casso is an Italian village, frazione of Erto e Casso, in the Province of Pordenone. Its population is 35. Together with Erto, its administrative seat, it forms the municipality of Erto-Casso.-Geography:...
and Erto
Erto e Casso
Erto e Casso is a municipality in the Province of Pordenone in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 130 km northwest of Trieste and about 40 km northwest of Pordenone.-Geography:...
.
History
Longarone was the site of a battle in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, In which a few companies of German troops lead by Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
successfully captured an entire Italian Division of over 10,000, retreating after the Battle
Battle of Caporetto
The Battle of Caporetto , took place from 24 October to 19 November 1917, near the town of Kobarid , on the Austro-Italian front of World War I...
of Kobarid
Kobarid
Kobarid is a town and a municipality in the upper Soča valley, western Slovenia, near the Italian border.Kobarid is known for the famous Battle of Caporetto, where the Italian retreat was documented by Ernest Hemingway in his novel A Farewell to Arms. The battle is well documented in the museum in...
(Caporetto). Rommel was awarded his pour le merite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
medal for this achievement.
The village was destroyed in the Vajont
Vajont Dam
The Vajont Dam is a disused dam, completed in 1959 in the valley of the Vajont river under Monte Toc, 100 km north of Venice, Italy...
disaster on October 9, 1963, when a landslide from Monte Toc
Monte Toc
Monte Toc is a mountain on the border between Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia in Northern Italy best known for the Vajont Dam, which was built at the mountain's base in 1960....
forced 50 million cubic metres of water (seiche
Seiche
A seiche is a standing wave in an enclosed or partially enclosed body of water. Seiches and seiche-related phenomena have been observed on lakes, reservoirs, swimming pools, bays, harbors and seas...
) over the top of the Vajont Dam
Vajont Dam
The Vajont Dam is a disused dam, completed in 1959 in the valley of the Vajont river under Monte Toc, 100 km north of Venice, Italy...
. Longarone lay in the immediate path of the wave of mud and water which swept into the valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
below. 1,909 villagers were killed.
Longarone was rebuilt following the tragedy and is now once again a thriving community. The fortieth anniversary of the disaster was marked, in October 2003, by a commemorative ceremony in Longarone attended by President of the Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
dr. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi is an Italian politician and banker. He was the 73rd Prime Minister of Italy from 1993 to 1994 and was the tenth President of the Italian Republic from 1999 to 2006...
.