function initialize() {
      if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {          
var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map_canvas")); 	 
map.setCenter(new GLatLng(41.631025,9.226489), 10);             
//icon defionition for bonifacio 	 
var bonifacioIcon = new GIcon(G_DEFAULT_ICON); 	 
bonifacioIcon.image = "media/thumbs/bonifacio-corsica.png"; 	 
bonifacioIcon.iconSize = new GSize(128, 20); 	 
bonifacioIcon.shadowSize = new GSize(0, 0); 	 
bonifacioIcon.iconAnchor = new GPoint(0, 10); 
//markerOptions = { icon:sanciprianuIcon };  	 
//icon definition for zonza 	 
var zonzaIcon = new GIcon(G_DEFAULT_ICON); 	 
zonzaIcon.image = "media/thumbs/zonza-corsica.png"; 	 
zonzaIcon.iconSize = new GSize(100, 20); 	 
zonzaIcon.shadowSize = new GSize(0, 0); 	 
zonzaIcon.iconAnchor = new GPoint(2, 10); 
//icon definition for coldebavella 	 
var coldebavellaIcon = new GIcon(G_DEFAULT_ICON); 	 
coldebavellaIcon.image = "media/thumbs/col-de-bavella-corsica.png"; 	 
coldebavellaIcon.iconSize = new GSize(128, 20); 	 
coldebavellaIcon.shadowSize = new GSize(0, 0); 	 
coldebavellaIcon.iconAnchor = new GPoint(2, 10); 
//icon definition for lospedale	 
var lospedaleIcon = new GIcon(G_DEFAULT_ICON); 	 
lospedaleIcon.image = "media/thumbs/l'ospedale-corsica.png"; 	 
lospedaleIcon.iconSize = new GSize(128, 20); 	 
lospedaleIcon.shadowSize = new GSize(0, 0); 	 
lospedaleIcon.iconAnchor = new GPoint(3, 10); 
//icon definition for Porto-Vecchio
var portovecchioIcon = new GIcon(G_DEFAULT_ICON); 	 
portovecchioIcon.image = "media/thumbs/porto-vecchio-location.png"; 	 
portovecchioIcon.iconSize = new GSize(156, 20); 	 
portovecchioIcon.shadowSize = new GSize(0, 0); 	 
portovecchioIcon.iconAnchor = new GPoint(3, 6);	    	   	   
var mapTypeControl = new GMapTypeControl();          
var topRight = new GControlPosition(G_ANCHOR_TOP_RIGHT, new GSize(10,10));          
var bottomRight = new GControlPosition(G_ANCHOR_BOTTOM_RIGHT, new GSize(10,10));  	 	 	 
//var marker = new GMarker(point);  	          
//this function constructs the info box 	  

function createMarker(point,html) {          
var marker = new GMarker(point, markerOptions);          
GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() {            
marker.openInfoWindowHtml(html);         });          
return marker;       	} 

function createMarker2(point) {          
var marker = new GMarker(point, markerOptions);          
return marker;       	}   	  

//map.addOverlay(marker); 	 
//map.addOverlay(marker, markerOptions);
//create portovecchio marker 
markerOptions = { icon:portovecchioIcon }; 	 
var point = new GLatLng(41.591096,9.279738); 	 
var marker = createMarker2(point) 	 
map.addOverlay(marker);    	 	 
//create bonifacio marker 	 
markerOptions = { icon:bonifacioIcon }; 	 
var point = new GLatLng(41.387051,9.159164); 	 
var marker = createMarker(point,'<div style="width:240px"><A href="http://www.portovecchiocorsica.com/bonifacio.html">Bonifacio</a><P><A href="http://www.portovecchiocorsica.com/bonifacio.html"><IMG height=120 alt="Bonifacio Corsica" src="media/220/bonifacio-corsica-1.jpg" width=220 border=0></a></div>') 	 
map.addOverlay(marker);  	 
//create zonza marker 	 
markerOptions = { icon:zonzaIcon }; 	 
var point = new GLatLng(41.74963,9.171024); 	 
var marker = createMarker(point,'<div style="width:240px"><A href="http://www.portovecchiocorsica.com/zonza.html">Zonza</a><P><A href="http://www.portovecchiocorsica.com/zonza.html"><IMG height=120 alt="Zonza Corsica" src="media/220/zonza-corsica-1.jpg" width=220 border=0></a></div>') 	 
map.addOverlay(marker);   
//create coldebavella marker 	 
markerOptions = { icon:coldebavellaIcon }; 	 
var point = new GLatLng(41.796132,9.22458); 	 
var marker = createMarker(point,'<div style="width:240px"><A href="http://www.portovecchiocorsica.com/col-de-bavella.html">Col de Bavella</a><P><A href="http://www.portovecchiocorsica.com/col-de-bavella.html"><IMG height=120 alt="Col de Bavella Corsica" src="media/220/col-de-bavella-corsica-1.jpg" width=220 border=0></a></div>')  
map.addOverlay(marker); 
//create lospedale marker 	 
markerOptions = { icon:lospedaleIcon }; 	 
var point = new GLatLng(41.668064,9.20839); 	 
var marker = createMarker(point,'<div style="width:240px"><A href="http://www.portovecchiocorsica.com/ospedale.html">Ospedale</a><P><A href="http://www.portovecchiocorsica.com/ospedale.html"><IMG height=120 alt="Ospedale Corsica" src="media/220/ospedale-barrage-corsica-1.jpg" width=220 border=0></a></div>')  
map.addOverlay(marker);     
//map.addOverlay(new GMarker(point, markerOptions));          	 	 
//add zoom controls 	 
map.addControl(mapTypeControl, topRight); 	  
GEvent.addListener(map, "dblclick", function() {
            map.removeControl(mapTypeControl);            
map.addControl(new GMapTypeControl(), bottomRight);         });          
map.addControl(new GLargeMapControl()); 	 }      }