Giglio Island
Encyclopedia
Isola del Giglio is an island and Italian comune
situated in the Tyrrhenian Sea
, off the coast of Tuscany
, part of the Province of Grosseto
.
promontory: mainly mountainous, it consists almost entirely of granite
s culminating in the Poggio della Pagana (496 m). 90% of its surface is covered by Mediterranean vegetation alternated with large pine forests and numerous vineyards which allow the production of the famous "Ansonaco" wine. The coast is 27 km long, made up of rocks, smooth cliffs and several bays: Arenella, Cannelle, Caldane and Campese, the biggest one with its small, same-named village.
military stronghold. Under the Roman
domination it was an important base in the Tyrrhenian Sea, cited, for example, by Julius Caesar
in his De Bello Gallico and by the poet Rutilius Claudius Namatianus
.
In 805 it was donated by Charlemagne
to the abbey of the Tre Fontane in Rome, and was later a possession of the Aldobrandeschi, Pannocchieschi, Caetani
, and Orsini families, and of the municipality of Perugia
. In 1241 the Sicilian fleet of Emperor Frederick II
destroyed a Genoese fleet. From 1264 Isola del Giglio was a Pisa
ne dominion, from which it passed to the Medici family. It suffered several Saracen attacks, which ended only in 1799.
Alongside its history the island was always renowned for its mineral ore: many columns and buildings in Rome were built with the Gigliese granite
.
(1st-2nd century), in the area of Giglio Porto (Giglio port). No traces of the once existing Diana
Temple can be seen now. The church of San Pietro Apostolo in Giglio Castello (Giglio castle) has an ivory crucifix attributed to the sculptor Giambologna
.
The island is also the site of an Etruscan
shipwreck
dating back to the early Iron age
, c. 600 BC. The cargo of the ship included copper
and lead
ingots, iron
spits, amphora
e and a Corinth
ian helmet. Even a wooden writing tablet with stylus was preserved. The finds are almost completely lost now.
and Maregiglio) departing from Porto Santo Stefano
.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
situated in the Tyrrhenian Sea
Tyrrhenian Sea
The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.-Geography:The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria and Sicily ....
, off the coast of Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, part of the Province of Grosseto
Province of Grosseto
The Province of Grosseto is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Grosseto.-Geography:It has an area of 4,504 km², and a total population of 227.498...
.
Geography
The island is separated by a 16 km stretch of sea from the ArgentarioMonte Argentario
Monte Argentario is a comune and a peninsula belonging to the Province of Grosseto in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 150 km south of Florence and about 35 km south of Grosseto...
promontory: mainly mountainous, it consists almost entirely of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
s culminating in the Poggio della Pagana (496 m). 90% of its surface is covered by Mediterranean vegetation alternated with large pine forests and numerous vineyards which allow the production of the famous "Ansonaco" wine. The coast is 27 km long, made up of rocks, smooth cliffs and several bays: Arenella, Cannelle, Caldane and Campese, the biggest one with its small, same-named village.
History
The modern island was probably formed 4,5-5 million years ago, and has been inhabited since the Iron Age. Later it was probably an EtruscanEtruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
military stronghold. Under the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
domination it was an important base in the Tyrrhenian Sea, cited, for example, by Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
in his De Bello Gallico and by the poet Rutilius Claudius Namatianus
Rutilius Claudius Namatianus
Rutilius Claudius Namatianus was a Roman Imperial poet, notable as the author of a Latin poem, De Reditu Suo, in elegiac metre, describing a coastal voyage from Rome to Gaul in 416...
.
In 805 it was donated by Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
to the abbey of the Tre Fontane in Rome, and was later a possession of the Aldobrandeschi, Pannocchieschi, Caetani
Caetani
Caetani, or Gaetani, is the name of an Italian noble family princely family which played a great part in the history of Pisa and of Rome, principally via their close links to the papacy.-Origins:...
, and Orsini families, and of the municipality of Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
. In 1241 the Sicilian fleet of Emperor Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
destroyed a Genoese fleet. From 1264 Isola del Giglio was a Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
ne dominion, from which it passed to the Medici family. It suffered several Saracen attacks, which ended only in 1799.
Alongside its history the island was always renowned for its mineral ore: many columns and buildings in Rome were built with the Gigliese granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
.
Main sights
The island houses the remains of a Roman villa of Domitius AhenobarbusAhenobarbus
Ahenobarbus was the name of a plebeian family of the Domitia gens in the late Republic and early Principate of ancient Rome. The name means "red-beard" in Latin...
(1st-2nd century), in the area of Giglio Porto (Giglio port). No traces of the once existing Diana
Diana (mythology)
In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy...
Temple can be seen now. The church of San Pietro Apostolo in Giglio Castello (Giglio castle) has an ivory crucifix attributed to the sculptor Giambologna
Giambologna
Giambologna, born as Jean Boulogne, incorrectly known as Giovanni da Bologna and Giovanni Bologna , was a sculptor, known for his marble and bronze statuary in a late Renaissance or Mannerist style.- Biography :...
.
The island is also the site of an Etruscan
Etruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
dating back to the early Iron age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
, c. 600 BC. The cargo of the ship included copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
and lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
ingots, iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
spits, amphora
Amphora
An amphora is a type of vase-shaped, usually ceramic container with two handles and a long neck narrower than the body...
e and a Corinth
Corinth
Corinth is a city and former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Corinth, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
ian helmet. Even a wooden writing tablet with stylus was preserved. The finds are almost completely lost now.
Transportation
Isola del Giglio is connected to Tuscany by ferries (ToremarToremar
thumb|250px|Oglasa Leaving PortoferraioToremar is an Italian shipping company which operates in routes from Tuscany to the Tuscan archipelago....
and Maregiglio) departing from Porto Santo Stefano
Porto Santo Stefano
Porto Santo Stefano is located in the municipality of Monte Argentario, in the Province of Grosseto, in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is one of the 2 major towns that form the townships along with Porto Ercole.-Position:...
.