We Tuscans like to brag about the fact that every rock in our land can tell a fascinating story. While many other parts of the world have amazing vistas, beautiful buildings or artistic masterpieces, what makes this land unique is the incredible density of such beauties. Even the most uninspiring tracts of land, such as the flats south of the Pisa airport, have had a major role in history. In the hamlet of Coltano, Guglielmo Marconi installed his first "ultrapowerful" intercontinental station back in 1911, an installation that was at the forefront of technology for several decades. When the huge antennas were destroyed by the retreating German army, the station fell into disuse before being completely forgotten by everyone. Now only the original building remains standing, even if it is in a very sorry state. The latest effort by the Pisa municipality to restore the Coltano station and build a museum of wireless communication has failed a couple years ago. The structure needs urgent repairs to avoid the worst but maybe there is a ray of hope. A Pisa University professor has recently published a comprehensive study on the historical significance of the site on an international academic magazine. Hopefully the English language article will cause enough interest to convince another company to finance the renovation. Listen to the story of this remarkable installation and its sister station in Hawaii on the latest episode of this podcast. Let us know what you think about it by joining the conversation on our social media platforms:
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LINKS TO SOURCES (ITALIAN & ENGLISH)
http://www.stilepisano.it/leggende/leg(g)ende_pisane_N09_coltano_27nov2017.pdf
https://www.unipi.it/index.php/news/item/10131-ecco-la-vera-storia-della-stazione-di-marconi-a-coltano
https://i0yqx.jimdofree.com/i-luoghi-della-memoria/
https://www.altreinfo.org/riflessioni/10766/2-luglio-1897-guglielmo-marconi-brevetta-la-radio-cosa-resta-oggi-della-sua-celebre-villa-stazione-radio-a-coltano-filippo-bovo/
http://www.giornidistoria.net/19-novembre-1911-coltano-alle-origini-della-radiotelegrafia/
https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2020/02/22/pisa-la-storia-della-stazione-da-cui-marconi-collego-litalia-con-il-canada-da-piu-potente-del-mondo-a-rudere-in-rovina/5708438/
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/hawaii/abandoned-marconi-wireless-station-hi/

BACKGROUND MUSIC
Title: Almost Time (Instrumental)
Author: Pipe Choir
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
Links: https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipe-choir-almost-time-instrumental-creative-commons
http://www.pipechoir.com/