Pontebba

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Pontebba
—  Comune  —
Comune di Pontebba

Coat of arms
Pontebba is located in Italy
Pontebba
Location of Pontebba in Italy
Coordinates: 46°30′N 13°19′E / 46.500°N 13.317°E / 46.500; 13.317Coordinates: 46°30′N 13°19′E / 46.500°N 13.317°E / 46.500; 13.317
Country Italy
Region Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Province Province of Udine (UD)
Frazioni Aupa, Frattis, Lagleise San Leopoldo, Studena Alta, Studena Bassa, Pietratagliata
Government
 • Mayor Isabella De Monte
Area
 • Total 97.7 km2 (37.7 sq mi)
Population (Dec. 2004)
 • Total 1,683
 • Density Bad rounding here17/km2 (Bad rounding here45/sq mi)
Demonym Pontebbani
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 33016
Dialing code 0428
Patron saint Natività di Maria
Saint day September 8
Website Official website

Pontebba (Friulian: Ponteibe, German: Pontafel, Slovene: Tablja) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Contents

Geography [edit]

Pontebba, named after Italian: ponte meaning "bridge", is situated at the confluence of the Pontebbana creek and the Fella River, itself a tributary of the Tagliamento. It is located about 100 km (62 mi) northwest of Trieste and about 50 km (31 mi) north of Udine, near the border with Austria. As of 31 December 2004, Pontebba had a population of 1,683 and an area of 97.7 km².[1]

The municipality contains the frazioni (subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets) Aupa, Frattis, Laglesie San Leopoldo, Studena Alta, Studena Bassa and Pietratagliata.

Pontebba borders the following municipalities: Dogna in the south, Hermagor-Pressegger See (Austria) in the north, Malborghetto Valbruna in the east and Moggio Udinese in the west.

History [edit]

Historic border stone

Since the early 10th century the Pontebbana creek formed the border between the March of Verona, the former Lombard duchy of Friuli in the south and the Bavarian march of Carinthia in the north. After the 1420 conquest of the Patriarchate of Aquileia, the Pontebba settlement south of the creek belonged to the Domini di Terraferma of Venice. Vis-à-vis Pontafel, north of the bridge, belonged to the Carinthian Canal Valley, an exclave held by the Imperial Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg, which in 1759 was incorporated into the Inner Austrian territories of the Habsburg dynasty.

After World War I according to the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the border of the Kingdom of Italy with the Republic of Austria was shifted up the Canal Valley north to the town of Tarvisio. The two settlements of Pontebba and Pontafel finally merged on 15 August 1924. During World War II, the rail road line through the town was the target of heavy aerial bombardment by the United States Army Air Forces as it was used by Germany to transport supplies to Italy. However, the aerial bombardment did not succeed in damaging the rail line, which is still in use today.

Sports [edit]

Aquile Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the region's flagship ice hockey team, plays its home games at the PalaVuerich arena in Pontebba and is affiliated with the local ice sports society Sport Ghiaccio Pontebba. The team is a member of the Serie A and won the 2008 Italian Cup.

Demographic evolution [edit]

Transport [edit]

Road to Pontebba from the east

Pontebba can be reached via the A23 autostrada, European route E55, running from Palmanova and the A4 to Tarvisio and the Austrian A2 Süd Autobahn, as well as by the parallel Strada Statale 13 Pontebbana. Here the Strade Provinciale 110 to the Naßfeld Pass (Italian: Passo di Pramollo) branches off.

The Pontebba train station is at the new Pontebbana railway line from Udine to Tarvisio and the Austrian border. Opened in 2000 it replaces the old k.k. Staatsbahn Tarvis-Pontafel built in 1879.

Notable residents [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute Istat.

External links [edit]