When a country is not official, just a state of mind

Imagine living somewhere that no one else recognised. Nick Middleton reveals why some nations don't exist

The head of the local flower growers' co-operative, Giorgio Carbone, was a placid figure with a big black beard. He grew mimosa flowers and lived in a small hilltop town in northwestern Italy, an ancient jumble of narrow cobbled streets, wooden shutters and wrought-iron balconies.

Carbone was very keen on local history. He spent many hours in state and church archives painstakingly reconstructing the town's 1,000-year story. In 1079 Seborga was designated an imperial principality of the Holy Roman Empire. It remained independent for more than 600 years, until it was sold to the House of Savoy, a transaction that was not registered.