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ORBETELLO

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Originally appearing in Volume V20, Page 164 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ORBETELLO , a See also:

town of See also:Tuscany, See also:Italy, in the See also:province of See also:Grosseto, 24 M. S. by E. of Grosseto by See also:rail, 13 ft. above See also:sea level. Pop. (19or) 4188 (town), 5335 (See also:commune). It is situated on a See also:tongue of See also:land projecting westward into a See also:lagoon which is enclosed on the W. and S. by two See also:long narrow sandy spits, and on the seaward (S.W.) See also:side by the See also:peninsula of See also:Monte Argentario. A See also:causeway connecting the town with this peninsula was built across the lagoon in 1842. On every side except the landward (E.) side the town is enclosed by an See also:ancient See also:terrace See also:wall of polygonal See also:work, and tombs have been discovered in the vicinity and even within the town itself. On the N. side of the promontory are the remains of a See also:Roman - See also:villa partly below sea-level. The town must thus occupy an ancient site, the name of which is unknown. The town still has the bastions which the Spaniards built during the See also:period (1557–1713) when they were masters of this corner of Italy. There is a large convict See also:prison with whichis connected another at See also:Porto Ercole, on the See also:east side of the peninsula. The See also:mother See also:house of the Passionist See also:order crowns an See also:eminence of Monte Argentario, now strongly fortified.

The See also:

salt-See also:water lagoon (II sq. m. in extent), in the See also:middle of which the town stands, abounds in See also:white See also:fish, soles and eels. On the eastern edge of the Monte Argentario is an active See also:manganese See also:iron ore mine, yielding some 30,000 tons per annum. After the fall of the See also:Republic of See also:Siena, when the territory of Siena passed to Tuscany, See also:Philip II. of See also:Spain retained Orbetello, Talamone, Monte Argentario and the See also:island of See also:Giannutri until 1713, under the name of the Reali Stati dei Presidii. There are still many See also:Spanish names among the inhabitants of Orbetello. In 1713 this See also:district passed by treaty to the See also:emperor, in 1736 to the See also:king of the two Sicilies, in 18o1 to the See also:kingdom of See also:Etruria, and in 1814 to the See also:grand-duchy of Tuscany. See G. See also:Dennis, Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria (See also:London, 1883), ii. 24o; M. See also:Carmichael, In Tuscany (London, 19o1), 283, sqq. (T.

End of Article: ORBETELLO

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