Italian Riviera micronation has its first princess, and a rival claimant to its crown
- The people of Seborga say their village was never legally part of Italy, and that the Holy Grail is hidden there – though no proof for either claim exists
- A German-born princess was elected its monarch when her ex-husband abdicated, but a French interloper has declared himself His Serene Highness Nicolas I
The princess shows off her tiny realm, sitting peaceful and picturesque, high above the Italian Riviera. But trouble is afoot in the self-declared micronation of Seborga, where a pretender to the “crown” is stoking passionate opposition.
The leaders of the hilltop village, where the Knights Templar – a Catholic military order active in the Crusades to recover the Holy Land from Islamic rule – are said by locals to have hidden the Holy Grail, insist that documents dating to the 18th century prove it was never legally incorporated into Italy. They hope the claim will boost tourism and attract new residents, saving it from the fate of other small Italian towns, where depopulation has left historic centres empty and shops closed.
The quest is even more urgent following the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide lockdown, which hit the local economy hard.
“I guess every little girl has a dream of being a princess. It’s like a fairy tale,” says Nina Menegatto, the village’s first “princess”, before the epidemic broke out. When her now ex-husband, Marcello, abdicated last year, during his second seven-year reign, Menegatto ran to become red-roofed Seborga’s first female ruler. She was elected in November.
The German-born 41-year-old, who manages a property company in Monaco when not attending to official duties, visits her “subjects” carrying her baby in a sling. She giggles as she tries on the gaudy gold crown kept on display in the tourist information office.
“I didn’t think I’d ever become a princess. But I got a lot of support from the population and I really appreciate it,” she says.