The Meloria shoal is an attractive archaeological, naturalistic and historical region that makes part, since 2010, of the Area Marina Protetta Secche della Meloria (Meloria shoal Marine Protected Area) assigned to the Parco naturale di Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli (Natural Park of Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli) for the management. The shoal is formed by a rocky bank surrounded by swallow water sandy and muddy of the surface of 9,372 hectare extending up to 12 km offshore. The seabed varies from 2 meters to 30 meters and the habitat is an alternating of rocky areas with characteristic basins seabed with prairies of Posidonia. The sea flora consists mainly of Posidonia and Caulerpa racemosa while the fauna has a rich variety as: Symphodus roissali, Serranus cabrilla, Scorpaena scrofa, Muraena helena, Coris julis, Aphia minuta, Pelagia noctiluca and others. [2] Geologically the Meloria consists of a calcareous sandstone bench corresponding to an active undersea fault called Rift of Meloria which caused numerous local earthquakes up to 3,5 in the Richter magnitude scale. [3]
Meloria Toweredit
Meloria tower at sunset
The Pisans built in 1157 on a surfacing rock of the Meloria shoal a lighthouse in order to avoid the wrecking of the ships directed to Porto Pisano. It was decided to keep a navigational light giving the task to the Augustinians monks of the hermitage of San Jacopo in Acquaviva by Livorno signing a written agreement for the work.[4]
The tower was destroyed by the Genoese. A second tower was built in 1598 on order of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, which in its turn was destroyed by the bad weather.[5] The current tower was built in 1709 by Cosimo III de' Medici and has a characteristic form; it is formed by four quadrangular pillars connected by Gothic arches above which arise the tower 15 meters high. The tower was built on the pillars to allow the flow of the waves but had no signalling light. On the south side of the tower is the Latin inscription: “Pro navigntium securitate ad latentes copulo evitandos” (For the sailors safety pay attention to the reef). In 1986 the tower underwent to a complete renovation.
The second battle, fought on Sunday August 6, 1284, was of higher historical importance. Usually, Battle of Meloria refers to this battle. It was a typical medieval sea-fight, and accomplished the ruin of Pisa as a naval power, in favour of Genoa.
Meloria air crashedit
On 9 November 1971, a Royal Air ForceLockheed Hercules C.1 crashed into the sea off the coast of Livorno on the Meloria shoal, killing all 46 passengers and 6 crew.[6] At the time it was described by Italian officials as the worst military air disaster in Italy in peacetime.[7]
meloria, rocky, skerry, surrounded, shoal, tuscan, coast, ligurian, kilometres, north, west, livorno, shoalthe, tower, shoaltuscanygeographylocationligurian, seacoordinates43, 548017, 219095, 548017, 219095archipelagotuscan, archipelagototal, islands2administr. Meloria is a rocky skerry surrounded by a shoal off the Tuscan coast in the Ligurian sea 1 6 1 kilometres 3 8 mi north west of Livorno Meloria shoalThe tower of MeloriaMeloria shoalTuscanyGeographyLocationLigurian SeaCoordinates43 32 53 N 10 13 09 E 43 548017 N 10 219095 E 43 548017 10 219095ArchipelagoTuscan ArchipelagoTotal islands2AdministrationItalyRegionTuscanyProvinceLivornoComuneLivornoDemographicsPopulationuninhabited Map of the Tuscan Archipelago Contents 1 Meloria shoal 2 Meloria Tower 3 Meloria lighthouses 4 Meloria Naval battles 4 1 First Battle of Meloria 4 2 Second Battle of Meloria 5 Meloria air crash 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksMeloria shoal editThe Meloria shoal is an attractive archaeological naturalistic and historical region that makes part since 2010 of the Area Marina Protetta Secche della Meloria Meloria shoal Marine Protected Area assigned to the Parco naturale di Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli Natural Park of Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli for the management The shoal is formed by a rocky bank surrounded by swallow water sandy and muddy of the surface of 9 372 hectare extending up to 12 km offshore The seabed varies from 2 meters to 30 meters and the habitat is an alternating of rocky areas with characteristic basins seabed with prairies of Posidonia The sea flora consists mainly of Posidonia and Caulerpa racemosa while the fauna has a rich variety as Symphodus roissali Serranus cabrilla Scorpaena scrofa Muraena helena Coris julis Aphia minuta Pelagia noctiluca and others 2 Geologically the Meloria consists of a calcareous sandstone bench corresponding to an active undersea fault called Rift of Meloria which caused numerous local earthquakes up to 3 5 in the Richter magnitude scale 3 Meloria Tower edit nbsp Meloria tower at sunset The Pisans built in 1157 on a surfacing rock of the Meloria shoal a lighthouse in order to avoid the wrecking of the ships directed to Porto Pisano It was decided to keep a navigational light giving the task to the Augustinians monks of the hermitage of San Jacopo in Acquaviva by Livorno signing a written agreement for the work 4 The tower was destroyed by the Genoese A second tower was built in 1598 on order of Ferdinando I de Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany which in its turn was destroyed by the bad weather 5 The current tower was built in 1709 by Cosimo III de Medici and has a characteristic form it is formed by four quadrangular pillars connected by Gothic arches above which arise the tower 15 meters high The tower was built on the pillars to allow the flow of the waves but had no signalling light On the south side of the tower is the Latin inscription Pro navigntium securitate ad latentes copulo evitandos For the sailors safety pay attention to the reef In 1986 the tower underwent to a complete renovation Meloria lighthouses editMain articles Meloria north end Lighthouse and Meloria south end LighthouseMeloria Naval battles editFirst Battle of Meloria edit The first Battle of Meloria on May 3 1241 was fought between the fleet of the emperor Frederick II surnamed Stupor Mundi in alliance with Pisa against a Genoese squadron and ended with a Pisan and Imperial victory Second Battle of Meloria edit The second battle fought on Sunday August 6 1284 was of higher historical importance Usually Battle of Meloria refers to this battle It was a typical medieval sea fight and accomplished the ruin of Pisa as a naval power in favour of Genoa Meloria air crash editOn 9 November 1971 a Royal Air Force Lockheed Hercules C 1 crashed into the sea off the coast of Livorno on the Meloria shoal killing all 46 passengers and 6 crew 6 At the time it was described by Italian officials as the worst military air disaster in Italy in peacetime 7 See also editBattle of Meloria Tuscan ArchipelagoReferences edit Mar Ligure Marina Militare Meloria shoal Natural park Duolingo Secche della Meloria Annali di Livorno by Giuseppe Vivoli La Meloria Lockheed Hercules C 1 XV216 Pisa Aviation Safety Network Retrieved 16 January 2014 Peter Nichols 10 November 1971 RAF Plane crashed in Italy killing 52 The Times No 58321 London p 1 nbsp This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Meloria Encyclopaedia Britannica 11th ed Cambridge University Press External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Meloria Shoal Area Marina Protetta Secche della Meloria Official website in English Portals nbsp Geography nbsp Islands nbsp Italy Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Meloria amp oldid 1144499626, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
