Republic of Rose Island Repubblica dell'Isola delle Rose Respubliko de la Insulo de la Rozoj | |
|---|---|
| Micronation (unrecognized entity) | |
 Flag | |
 | |
 | |
| Location | Adriatic Sea, nearEmilia-Romagna, Italy |
| Area claimed | 0.0004 km2 (0.00015 sq mi) |
| Type | Offshore platform (seastead) |
| Claimed by | Giorgio Rosa |
| Dates claimed | 1 May 1968–26 June 1968 (Italian Navy assumed control) or 26 February 1969 (disestablished) |
TheRepublic of Rose Island (Esperanto:Respubliko de la Insulo de la Rozoj;Italian:Repubblica dell'Isola delle Rose, bothlit. 'Republic of the Island of the Roses') was a short-livedmicronation on a man-made platform in theAdriatic Sea, 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) off the coast of the region ofEmilia-Romagna, Italy, built by Italian engineer Giorgio Rosa, who made himself its president and declared it an independent state on 1 May 1968.[1][2]
Although Rose Island had its own government, currency, post office, and commercial establishments, and the official language wasEsperanto,[1] it was never formally recognized as a sovereign state by any country of the world. The Italian government viewed it as a ploy by Rosa to raise money from tourists while avoiding national taxation. Rose Island was occupied by Italian police forces on 26 June 1968, subjected to a naval blockade, and eventually demolished in February 1969.[3][4]
It is believed that the Esperanto termRozoj (in Italian:rose) was borrowed from the surname of Giorgio Rosa, the designer and builder of the artificial platform, as well as the creator and inspirer of the state entity, as well as from his desire to "see roses bloom on the sea".[5]
In 1958, Italian engineer Giorgio Rosa funded the construction of a 400-square-metre (4,300 sq ft) platform supported by nine pylons and furnished it with a number of commercial establishments, including a restaurant, bar, nightclub, souvenir shop, and post office, with construction being completed in 1967.[6]
The platform declared independence on 1 May 1968, under the Esperanto nameInsulo de la Rozoj, with Rosa as self-declared president. Rose Island issued a number of stamps, including one showing its approximate location in theAdriatic Sea. The purported currency of the republic was themill, and this appeared on early stamp issues, although no coins or banknotes are known to have been produced.[7]
Rosa's actions were viewed by theItalian government as a ploy to raise money from tourists while avoiding national taxation. Whether or not this was the real reason behind Rosa's micronation, the Italian government's response was swift: On 26 June 1968, 55 days after the island declared independence, the Italian navy sent a group of fourcarabinieri andGuardia di Finanza officers, who assumed control, cleared the island, and set up a blockade so no one could re-enter.[7][8]
At first, the Italian government tried to dismantle the island, but they found it impossible, so they decided to blow it up instead. TheItalian Navy bombed the island twice, with the first time failing, and the second bombing taking place on 13 February 1969,[9] but the island still stood. Afterward, Rosa's self-declaredgovernment in exile created stamps depicting the events. Rosa was billed by the Italian government for war costs. Finally, on 26 February 1969, the island was toppled by a storm. Only one death was counted but never confirmed: apparently, Rosa's dog was on the platform during the facility's detonation.[8]
Rosa died in 2017, having given his blessing for afilm to be made about Rose Island. This was released in 2020.[10]
Since the first decade of the 2000s, Rose Island's history has been the subject of documentary research and rediscoveries, based on theutopian aspect of its genesis.[11]
| Africa | |
|---|---|
| North America | |
| South America | |
| Antarctica | |
| Asia | |
| Atlantic islands | |
| Europe | |
| Oceania | |
| Extraterrestrial | |
| Related | |
| In popular culture |
|
