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ROSIGNANO SOLVAY It is the most populated and the most intensively urbanized hamlet in the whole town territory. Its vast inhabited centre extends in the fertile plain along the linear course of the coast which is partly sandy and partly rich in characteristic small and picturesque inlets. Undoubtedly a dominant element in this reality is the big factory for the production of basic chemical products. The factory has always been an integral part of the same history of this territory, it was set up here at the beginning of last century , just for the specific characteristics of this area. In fact the essential requisites are the level ground, the closeness of the river Fine that was essential (at that time) for the production process, the presence of the sea and the favourable position near two important communication routes: Aurelia road and the railway. That's why this uninhabited plain changed into the small town we can see now. Without doubt one of the most beautiful characteristics of Rosignano Solvay is the large amount of green inside the inhabited centre. Both in the area near the sea and in the one north of the railway there are numerous pine avenues that connect the different blocks. One of the most beautiful and suggestive avenues is the one that goes from the town centre to Rosignano Maritime: Repubblica avenue. These avenues are usually large streets that sometimes widen to form well equipped green spaces, pinewoods and parks. The Administration has always considered sport and the spaces for outdoor activities very very important. Rosignano Solvay is therefore an industrial town , but at the same time it offers many possibilities of relax in its green and under its trees. The latest structure which has been realized is the tourist port Cala de' Medici that has got 650 berths and promises to bring an important development. Archaeology At present Rosignano Solvay represents the most populated and active part of the Municipality and at first sight it is difficult to think that before 1914 in this plain there existed only few farmhouses and a large wood. In fact the people lived mostly in the boroughs set on the hill in a more favorable position as the areas below were infested with the malaria. Besides from a military point of view it was easier to defend that position . The archeological finds in the south east part of Rosignano Solvay along Dante Street are, without doubt, the most numerous, but also the poorest, generally they are «cappuccina» tombs and sometimes chance tombs with rests of amphoras. Some graves which have been found in Dante Street have been rebuilt in a room of the Civic Museum of Rosignano Maritime. The finding of many corpses buried cursorily in the naked earth led someone to believe to be in front of the bodies of soldiers killed in the famous battle against the Goths in the 5th century A.D. Besides the necropolises, the rests of some Roman villas of a certain interest have been found too. A rather large polychrome mosaic floor and rests of the foundations came to light near "La Villana" place , but they have been covered. Other findings in the area called «Pilistrello» such as small bronze figurines and rather elegant vases lead us to think of a patrician residence. Recently in «Lillatro» place there has come to light a refined mosaic floor belonging to a Roman villa. The position of many villas, situated mainly in the area at the feet of the hill of Rosignano Maritime leads us to believe that a productive settling might have existed in the plain below. The finding of the bronze seal used to mark the works in figulina ceramic, with the words " regule vivas ", which dates back to the 3th or 4th century A.D. , is certainly a proof that in this area there existed a kiln for the production of vases and different objects . Therefore Rosignano Solvay also has its own ancient history in comparison with the modern structure of its buildings and town planning. Historical news Withouth doubt Rosignano Solvay has been a particular case, in fact in less than one hundred years its inhabitants passed from zero to more than 16,000. Almost totally this quick development is due to the fact that in 1914 the Solvay Company built the factory for the production of soda. The Belgian Society decided to build an industrial factory just in this uninhabited plain because of the particular characteristics of this area : the presence of the railway network, the closeness of Aurelia and Emilia roads, the proximity of limestone caves and the river Fine as water resource. Despite its huge demografic development the village didn't have its own name yet and only in 1917 the Town Council of Rosignano Maritime decided to name it Rosignano Solvay . Immediately the influence of this big industrial centre interested the nearby hilly villages and caused a considerable decrease of the population in favour of a rapid grouth of Rosignano Solvay that in 1921 had already reached 1,500 inhabitants. After the construction of the houses a considerable series of facilities were built, for instance a food shop, the cinema-theatre, the social club, the schools, the hospital and the football ground. It is important to remember that the Solvay Company has taken care of its employees' needs more than other companies, anyway in time there have been trade-union struggles,,even heated. The large amount of green you can see at Rosignano Solvay, such as wide avenues, gardens, parks and pinewoods dates back to the moment in which it was urbanized, a period when in all Europe and particularly in the northern countries, the concept of the " Garden City "was gaining ground. (From "To know Rosignano") |
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