La California
{{use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox frazione
| name = La California
| native_name =
| image_skyline = Bibbona 2.JPG
| image_caption = The church of Nostra Signora di Fatima
| coordinates = {{coord|43|16|10|N|10|32|34|E|display=inline,title|type:city}}
| region = {{flag|Tuscany}}
| province = Livorno (LI)
| comune = Bibbona
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m = 9
| area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 =
| population_footnotes =
| population_total = 1090
| population_as_of = 2011
| pop_density_footnotes =
| gentilic =
| saint =
| day =
| postal_code = 57020
| area_code = (+39) 0586
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
La California is a town in Tuscany, central Italy, administratively a frazione of the comune of Bibbona, province of Livorno. At the time of the 2011 census its population was {{formatnum:1090}}.
The town is about {{convert|40|km|mi|abbr=in}} from Livorno and {{convert|6|km|mi|round=0.5|abbr=in}} from Bibbona.
History
The town developed starting from 19th century, but it has been inhabited since before: around the locality of Crocino, an Etruscan tomb from 6th century BC has been discovered.{{sfn|Mordhorst|1996|p=74}}
The name of the town comes from the story of {{interlanguage link|Leonetto Cipriani|fr}}, who traveled from the Mediterranean sea to California, back and forth, and gave this name to the town.{{Cite news|url=https://www.lanazione.it/livorno/cronaca/2012/08/27/763762-california_provincia_livorno.shtml|title=California, provincia di Livorno: la conoscono anche negli Usa|language=it|work=La Nazione|date=27 August 2012|access-date=16 July 2019}}
Since 2004, and every 4 years, inhabitants of La California hold mock elections coinciding with the presidential elections of the United States of America.{{cite news|author=Mariella Baroli| url=https://www.panorama.it/Viaggi/italia/la-california-italiana-il-piccolo-paese-dove-si-vota-il-presidente-degli-stati-uniti/|work=Panorama | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021002039/https://www.panorama.it/Viaggi/italia/la-california-italiana-il-piccolo-paese-dove-si-vota-il-presidente-degli-stati-uniti/ | archive-date=2021-10-21 | title=La California italiana. Il piccolo paese dove si vota il presidente degli Stati Uniti |language=it| date=3 November 2020 }} The vote is not taken into account in the official results, but it is sent to the nearest United States consulate in Florence.
Sport
La California is the birthplace of cyclist Paolo Bettini, who won two world championships and a gold medal at the Olympics.
References
Bibliography
- {{Cite book|first=Susanne|last=Mordhorst|title=Guida alla Val di Cecina|language=it|location=Siena|publisher=Nuova Immagine|year=1996|isbn=88-7145-120-1}}
{{Commons category|La California (Bibbona)}}
{{Villages of the Province of Livorno}}
{{authority control}}