San Pietro, Imagua and the Assimas
San Pietro
Pitastad | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 | |
| Motto(s): Sempre fedele alla patria (Vespasian) Ever loyal to the fatherland | |
| Country | File:ImaguaFlag.png Imagua and the Assimas |
| County | Assimas |
| Founded | 1601 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Narseo Quagliata |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Town | 194,917 |
| • Rank | 2nd in Imagua and the Assimas |
| • Urban | 194,917 |
| • Metro | 229,462 |
| Time zone | UTC+11 (Imaguan Standard Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | not observed |
San Pietro (Western Imaguan Creole: Pitastad) is the second largest city in Imagua and the Assimas, and the capital of the Assimas. Located on the northern shore of Avitabile Island, San Pietro is the second largest city in the country, and the largest city to not be its own county, as it is the county seat of Assimas County.
While the Caldians were the first to set up a settlement on what is now San Pietro, doing so in 1536, the settlement was abandoned for unclear reasons in 1548, although it is speculated by archaeologists that the small population made the settlement vulnerable to attacks by the native Imaguan population.
It was only in 1601 that it was established as a permanent settlement by Blostlandic settlers as the city of Peterstad, it was initially an insignificant settlement under Estmere captured Imagua. Following the fall of Cuanstad, the Blostlanders kept control over the Assimas Islands, causing the town to grow, as many government officials previously based in Cuanstad moved to Peterstad.
In 1813, Eldmark sold the Assimas Islands to Etruria, and the Etrurians immediately set San Pietro up as the capital of their colony. Over the next century and a half, San Pietro was aggressively Etrurianized as the Etrurian government sought to integrate it with its other possessions in the West Arucian. (TBC)
Etymology
The name San Pietro derives from a Vespasian translation of the Blostlandic name, Peterstad. The name, meaning Peter's town, is due to the city established on 29 June, 1601, the feast day of Saint Peter, by Blostlandic settlers. After Etruria acquired the Assimas in 1813, Peterstad was renamed to San Pietro to Etrurianise the city. However, the Blostlandic name was the basis for San Pietro's name in Western Imaguan Creole, Pitastad.
An earlier settlement on the site of San Pietro that was founded by Caldish settlers in 1536 was known as Baile Adamhnáin, with Baile Adamhnáin getting its name from Saint Adomnán.
History
Pre-colonial era
The first evidence of human habitation on San Pietro dates back to between 6,250 and 6,750 years before present. Due to its location on the mouth of the Colosimo River, on relatively flat plains, and on the San Pietro Harbour, archaeologists have found evidence that the site was home to several settlements, including a Nati settlement from around 150 BCE.
In the 200s CE, San Pietro became the site of a Marai settlement: although the Marai settlement was not as large as the Marai settlement in Nua Taois, archaeologists noted that it "greatly expanded the original Nati settlement," with the Marai settlement lasting until around 800 CE, when the decline of the Marai city states, combined with the arrival of the Mutu, led to the city entering a period of decline.
However, its geographical position made the site of San Pietro a regional centre, with evidence that it was home to chieftains ruling over the area. By the early sixteenth century, the area of San Pietro was home to the capital of the TBD Confederacy, which comprised most of the Assimas Islands. However, the arrival of Euclean explorers and the spread of disease led to the TBD Confederacy imploding.
Early colonial era
The first Eucleans to settle the site of present-day San Pietro were the Caldish, who established Baile Adamhnáin in 1536, naming the settlement after Saint Adomnán. While initially, the relationship between the natives and the settlers were cordial, tensions started to rise between the Caldians and the native population on Avitabile Island. Combined with the small population, the settlement was abandoned in 1548 for unclear reasons, although many archaeologists believe that it was primarily due to the small population, making it impossible for the settlement to defend itself against native peoples, or because of a lack of supplies.
By the 1580s, the site of settlement was completely abandoned, with a Blostlandic official saying in 1583 that the natives recounted the existence of a Caldish settlement, but the only evidence that it ever existed were some roadworks.
In 1601, the Blostlanders established Peterstad on the site of Baile Adamhnáin. Initially, Peterstad was a fishing village, with an official remarking that "besides fishing and subsistence farming, there is not much of an economy as Cuanstad and Vaxholmen remain the primary centres" in the region, but with the fall of Cuanstad in 1658, Peterstad began to develop as it became the main seat of Blostlandic rule over the islands.
With this, Peterstad began to grow, as Blostlandic authorities focused their attention on developing the Assimas Islands to protect them from invasions by outside colonial powers, leading to the construction of what would become the Castello di Slott on the Slott peninsula to protect Peterstad's harbour. At the same time, Peterstad began to grow into a town, as many colonial officials on the Assimas moved there from Cuanstad. This growth would make Peterstad an important urban centre, and by 1700, the city's population was measured to be around 3,000 people.
During the eighteenth century, Peterstad became a thriving urban centre on the island, with its harbour exporting sugar and nutmeg to the Blostlandic market. However, with the outbreak of the Asterian War of Secession, and Eldmark's subsequent declaration of independence, Peterstad would be the scene of the Mutiny of Peterstad in 1769, which saw the local garrison stage a mutiny against the Blostlandic colonial government and declare their loyalty to Eldmark.
After Eldmark obtained its independence in 1771, Peterstad became part of Eldmark. With the abolition of slavery, the Assimas became seen as a liability by the Eldmarkian government, who had incurred substantial amounts of debt to obtain its independence. By 1813, Eldmark would sell the Assimas to the United Kingdom of Etruria in order to pay off its debts.
Etrurian rule
After Etruria purchased the Assimas from Eldmark in 1813, Peterstad was renamed to San Pietro. While it remained the administrative centre of the Assimas, the change in administration led to substantial changes in the character of the city, as the remaining white Eldmarkian population who had not already left in the aftermath of the end of slavery left San Pietro. This, combined with an influx of Etrurian immigrants to San Pietro, both from Bonaventura and loyalists from Gapolania, but also immigrants from Etruria itself, changed the character of the city.
After a fire in 1834 that destroyed most of the old settlement, colonial governor Giambattista D'Intino decided to rebuild San Pietro as a "little Sermoni." D'Intino's plan involved replanning the city, with a central square surrounded by a rebuilt San Pietro, the Palazzo Governale which would house the colonial government, and shops to the square's northeast and southwest, and the streets to be "perfect diagonals expanding ever outward until they reach the sea or the hills." This would necessitate demolishing most of the surviving buildings: the few surviving pre-Etrurian buildings are located on the Slott Peninsula next to the Castello di Slott. The new buildings were to be built "in a similar style to Sermoni," as it would help make San Pietro "an Etrurian city."
By 1850, San Pietro had been completely rebuilt in an Etrurian style in accordance with D'Intino's plan. This was aided by the Royal Etrurian Navy expanding their naval base in order to protect the San Pietro Harbour, leading to substantial population growth throughout the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, and to the establishment of factories in the city and sugar refineries. In 1913, San Pietro would be granted city status by the Etrurian government to celebrate its centenary under Etrurian rule.
However, the Great Collapse greatly affected San Pietro: although the city recovered much of its pre-Great Collapse output by the outbreak of the Great War, and initially was not too affected by the war, Etruria's entry in 1928 would lead to a Gaullican occupation of the city, lasting until 1933 when the Grand Alliance liberated the city as part of its island hopping campaign.
After the Legionary Reaction in 1937, the Greater Solarian Republic would aggressively Etrurianise the city and the Assimas, with virtually all remaining pre-Etrurian buildings, excluding the Castello di Slott, being demolished to make way for Etrurian buildings. However, the Greater Solarian Republic's control over the city was short-lived because in 1944, after the outbreak of the Solarian War, the Imaguan militia would invade the Assimas and occupy it. While de-jure Etrurian rule continued until 1946, it was de-facto under Imaguan control, with the Imaguan government seeking to annex the Assimas.
Contemporary era
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Following the end of the Solarian War in November 1946, San Pietro was annexed into Imagua following the passage of the First Amendment to the Imaguan constitution, with the United Provinces reluctantly approving Imagua's annexation after the Sotirian Democrats threatened to break their coalition with the Democratic Party. Thus, for the first time in nearly three hundred years, San Pietro was in the same country as Cuanstad. However, San Pietro, like the rest of Imagua and the Assimas, would not stay long in the United Provinces due to tensions between the Imaguan and federal governments, and on 23 April, 1948, San Pietro became part of an independent Imagua.
After their independence, San Pietro became a major economic centre, alongside Cuanstad, as both were manufacturing hubs. However, in the 1950s, tourism started to develop, with hotels being opened to cater to tourists from both the Asterias and Euclea. At that time, deindustrialization started to take place, as the economy began to transition more to a service economy. This, combined with a decline in sugar production and rising unemployment led to the rise of the Assiman Independence Party in the early 1960s, which advocated for Assiman independence, and ultimately led the Imaguan government to grant autonomy to the Assimas.
While increased autonomy did make San Pietro's economy stronger, compared to the rest of the Assimas, San Pietro still suffered from brain drain, despite it being offset by migration from rural centres, such as Rutigliano. However, it suffered from a population decline in the 1980s due to the Recession of 1980.
The late 1980s and early 1990s saw San Pietro's economy recover, as it pivoted towards the service economy, leading to a rise in the city's population. However, since the 1990s, San Pietro has faced similar problems to Cuanstad, such as a housing crisis that has priced many people out of living in the city.
Geography
San Pietro is located on the northern shore of Avitabile Island, and is located in a relatively large plain shaped by the Colosimo River which originates on the slopes of Mount Pioniere, the highest point on the Assimas Islands. Thus, most of the settlement is flat, with only the edges of the mountains taking form near the city limits, with the highest point being a slope of Mount Pionere which at the point where it crosses the city limits reaches an elevation of 456 meters above sea levels.
Climatically, like the rest of the Assimas Islands, San Pietro experiences a tropical monsoon climate, due to its location near the equator, with the yearly average highs being 32 °C (89.6 °F), and the yearly average lows being 20.5 °C (68.9 °F). The wet season is generally from May to October, while the dry season typically lasts from November to April, although the months of April and November receive more rain than any other month in the dry season.
The highest recorded temperature was recorded on 1 August, 1939, when it was measured at 37.5 °C (99.5 °F), while the lowest recorded temperature in San Pietro was measured at 14 °C (57.2 °F) on 19 February, 1911.
Government
San Pietro has an eighteen member town council (Vespasian: Consiglio comunale) and is headed by a mayor (Vespasian: sindaco). They are all elected by residents of San Pietro every four years. Like other town councils, San Pietro is a non-partisan government, with all members and candidates being independent politicians. The current mayor of San Pietro is Narseo Quagliata, who was first elected in 2008, defeating Oscar Mugavero, and was re-elected in 2012, 2016, and 2020.
While it is commonly referred to as a city (Vespasian: città), having been granted it by Etrurian authorities in 1913 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its purchase from Eldmark, since the end of the Solarian War in 1946, it has been legally classified as a town (Vespasian: cittadina), as it never had been given borough status like Cuanstad had been. Despite proposals made in 1977, and in 2003, San Pietro has not been granted city status as doing so would require a constitutional amendment, as the Cities Act of 1961 declared that only city-parishes (i.e. Cuanstad) can be cities.
On the parish level, San Pietro has thirty-seats of the sixty member parish council, which like other parishes, is non-partisan, with all members and candidates officially being independent politicians.
On the national level, San Pietro is represented with ten members in the Lesser House of Parliament, due to it's status as the second largest settlement in Imagua and the Assimas.
Demographics
As of the 2021 census, San Pietro has a population of 194,917 people, while its metropolitan area comprises 229,462 people, comprising around 76.8% of the population of the Assimas Parish, and around 17% of the national population.
Ethnically, 151,646 people, or around 77.8% of the population are Bahio-Imaguan; 26,397 people or around 13.5% of the population are Eucleo-Imaguan; 9,126 people or around 4.7% of the population are Coian-Imaguans; 4,199 people, or around 2.2% of the population are of Senrian descent; 3,483 people, or around 1.8% of the population, are immigrants from other countries, and 66 people, or a negligible percentage of the population are Native Imaguans.
Religiously, 183,934 people, or around 94.4% of the population are Sotirians. The largest Sotirian sect are Solarian Catholics, with 165,304 adherents, or around 84.8% of the population, followed by the Gospelites, with 8,203 adherents, or around 4.2% of the municipal population, and Embrianism, with 4,087 adherents, or around 2.1% of the municipal population, with other Sotirian sects having 6,340 adherents, or around 3.3% of the municipal population. The next largest religion in San Pietro after Sotirianity is Badi, with 1,791 adherents, or around 0.9% of the population; followed by Tenkyou, with 1,201 adherents, or around 0.6% of the population, and 2,290 people, or around 1.2% of the population, following other religions, such as Zohism. 5,701 people, or around 2.9% of the municipal population are irreligious.
Linguistically, San Pietro is predominantly Vespasian-speaking, with 184,019 people, or around 94.4% of the city's population, reporting that they use Vespasian on a regular basis, while only 10,482 people, or around 5.4% of the city's population reporting that they use Estmerish on a regular basis. 416 people, or around 0.2% of the population report that they use neither official language on a regular basis.
However, the most prominent native language in San Pietro is Western Imaguan Creole, spoken by 170,654 people or around 87.6% of the population as their first language. The next-most spoken native language is Vespasian, with 23,142 people, or around 11.9% of the municipal population speaking it as a first language. Other native languages spoken in San Pietro include Senrian, which is spoken by people, or % of the population; Gaullican, which is spoken by 527 people, or around 0.3% of the population, and Estmerish, which is spoken by 493 people or around 0.3% of the population.
Transportation
San Pietro is, as the largest city in the Assimas Parish and on Avitabile Island, a key transport node in the regional transportation network, with all roads on Avitabile Island originating in San Pietro. The city is accessible to the rest of the country by ferries, with daily ferries connecting San Pietro to Guardia Island and Ineweyu Island, as well as ferries connecting it to Nua Taois, and an hourly ferry to Cuanstad that are operated by the Imaguan Maritime Service.
The city's international airport, San Pietro International Airport is located in Nuova Turania, which is the least busy international airport in Imagua.
The city's public transit system is San Pietro Transit, which operates a fleet of buses within San Pietro and across Avitabile Island. Future plans include establishing a bus rapid transit system comparable to the Cuanstad Metro, although construction has yet to begin.
Culture
As the second largest city of Imagua and the Assimas and the largest city that has more people speaking Vespasian over Estmerish, San Pietro is a major cultural center, especially on the Assimas Islands.
As the primary Vespasian city in Imagua, Imaguan artists who use Vespasian, such as Renato Carcione, Iris Boschetto, Rufo D'Esposito, and Sviturno Di Palo either were born in San Pietro or moved to further their cultural careers.
The local cuisine is more heavily Vespasian influenced, with local delicacies not commonly consumed elsewhere on Imagua include polenta made with cornmeal and risi e bisi, made of rice and pigeon peas.