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36-624: The panoramic road Strada panoramica starts in Porto Santo Stefano allowing splendid views of the coast and the Tuscan Archipelago . Monte Argentario borders the comune of Orbetello , which is located on the middle dam between the two lagoons. Monte Argentario is a promontory stretching towards the Tyrrhenian Sea in correspondence of the two southernmost islands of the Tuscan Archipelago , Giglio and Giannutri . The promontory

72-559: A Latin transliteration of the Greek word for "little goat" ( Ancient greek : Aigýllion , Αιγύλλιον ). Capraia is an Italian island , is the north-westernmost of the seven islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, and the third largest after Elba and Giglio ; it is also a comune (municipality) belonging to the Province of Livorno . The island has a population of about 400. Montecristo

108-521: A complex orography including the mountain Mount Capanne which favoured the preservation of the chestnut , the holm oak and the black alder mostly on the northern side. The main plant formations are those of shrubs of Erica , strawberry tree , Genisteae , mastic , Mediterranean buckthorn , myrtus and Phoenician juniper ; On Elba and Capraia the cork oak is present, while the Aleppo pine and

144-545: A favourite tourist location. History and literature have ensured that most people are familiar with the islands of Elba and Montecristo . Legends says the archipelago originates from a necklace that Venus , the Roman goddess of beauty and sensuality, lost while emerging from the Tyrrhenian sea. In this myth, the seven islands are the seven pearls the goddess was unable to retrieve. The Tuscan Archipelago lies between Corsica and

180-479: Is 466 metres (1,529 ft) above sea level . It is about 8 kilometres (5 mi) long (from Punta della Teglia to Punta dello Zenobio) and about 4 kilometres (2 mi) wide. It has a coastline that is about 30 kilometres (19 mi) in circumference. The island is part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park and marine sanctuary. The island's small harbour, Porto di Capraia, is connected to

216-574: Is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany , Italy , 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the coastal town of Piombino . The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park and the third largest island in Italy , after Sicily and Sardinia . It is located in the Tyrrhenian Sea , about 50 kilometres (30 mi) east of the French island of Corsica . Isola del Giglio

252-455: Is a centre of the anchovy fishery . About 40 kilometres (25 mi) to the north is the island of Gorgona , which is also famous for its anchovies. In the summer the island is also a popular stopping point for yachts sailing between Livorno, Elba, and Corsica. The Greeks called the island Aegylon or Aegyllion ( Αίγυλλον Greek for Rocky Island, often mistaken with "Goat place", see also Giglio ). Its current name may have originated in

288-465: Is an Italian island and comune situated in the Tyrrhenian Sea , off the coast of Tuscany , and is part of the Province of Grosseto . The island is one of seven that form the Tuscan Archipelago, lying within the Arcipelago Toscano National Park . Giglio means "lily" in Italian, and though the name would appear consistent with the insignia of Medici Florence , it derives from Aegilium , "Goat Island",

324-436: Is an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea and part of the Tuscan Archipelago. Administratively it belongs to the municipality of Portoferraio in the province of Livorno , Italy . The island has an area of 10.39 km (4.01 sq mi) and is approximately 4.3 km (2.7 mi) wide at its widest point; the coasts are steep, and extend for 16 km (9.9 mi). The island is a state nature reserve and forms part of

360-457: Is in the northern settlement, Porto Santo Stefano . The other main settlement in the township is Porto Ercole . Argentarola cave lies close to Argentario promontory. The high quality speleothems that have been collected from this cave have allowed scientists to study the 215,000 year history of sea-level oscillations in this region. The promontory, probably already inhabited by the Etruscans ,

396-447: The comune of Grosseto and are placed in a nature reserve which makes part of a special protection area . Palmaiola is an islet placed in the middle of Piombino Channel, at 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from Elba and 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from Piombino ; it is part of the comune of Rio Marina . Meloria is a rocky skerry , surrounded by a shoal , off the Tuscan coast , in

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432-563: The Forte San Giorgio on a pre-existing fortification that the Ottoman corsair Turgut Reis had demolished. The Genoese also built three coastal watch towers (part of a system of Genoese towers ) to protect against pirates. The three are: In 1767 troops under Pasquale Paoli of the new independent Corsican Republic occupied Capraia. It was captured during the French conquest of Corsica , but returned to Genoa and detached from Corsica under

468-545: The Ligurian sea , 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometres) north-west of Livorno . Scoglietto di Portoferraio is a rocky skerry without vegetation placed in front of Portoferraio . It is a marine protected area since 1971, and from January 2014 it is a Site of Community Importance . The skerry is 150 metres (490 ft) long and 124 metres (407 ft) wide and it is placed at 1.36 kilometres (0.85 mi) from Punta Capo Bianco and 1.14 kilometres (0.71 mi) from Punta Falconaia . On

504-462: The Province of Grosseto . The Formiche di Grosseto ("Ants of Grosseto") is a group of islets which emerge sharply in the Tuscan Archipelago. They are located in open sea among the coast of the Natural Park of Maremma and Pianosa , approximately 13 nautical miles (24 km) from Porto Santo Stefano on Monte Argentario and 9.4 miles (15.1 km) from Marina di Grosseto ; they are part of

540-478: The Province of Livorno . The island has a population of about 400. Capraia is 62 kilometres (39 mi) from the city of Livorno by sea, and 32 kilometres (20 mi) northwest of the island of Elba; it is slightly closer, at 30 kilometres (19 mi), to the island of Corsica . The island is accessible by ferries that depart from the port of Livorno. Capraia is of volcanic origin, has an area of 19 square kilometres (7.3 sq mi) and its highest point

576-580: The Tuscan coast and contains seven major islands ( Capraia , Elba , Giannutri , Giglio , Gorgona , Montecristo and Pianosa ); all are protected as part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park . The Archipelago extends 166 kilometres (103 mi) from the northernmost island (Gorgona) to the southernmost (Giannutri) and 56 kilometres (35 mi) from the westernmost (Capraia) to the Tuscan coast. Main Islands (from north to south): There are several islets in

612-557: The Tuscan Archipelago National Park . The small island of Pianosa , about 10.25 km (3.96 sq mi) in area, has a coastal perimeter of 26 km (16 mi), forms part of Italy 's Tuscan Archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea . Gorgona is the northernmost island in the Tuscan Archipelago. Between Corsica and Livorno , this diminutive island has been valued most for its wildlife , especially marine birds, and its isolation. The latter quality resulted in

648-837: The maritime pine are widely spread on Elba and Gorgona. The endemic species of the archipelago are Centaurea aetalieae (eastern Elba), Centaurea gymnocarpa (Capraia), Centaurea ilvensis (western Elba), Crocus ilvensis (western Elba), Limonium doriae (Formica Grande), Limonium gorgonae (Gorgona), Limonium ilvae (Elba), Limonium planesiae (Pianosa), Limonium sommerierianum (Giglio, Giannutri and Montecristo), Linaria capraria (all main islands except for Giannutri), Romulea insularis (Capraia) and Silene capraria (Capraia). Endemic taxa of lower rank are Biscutella pichiana subsp. ilvensis (Elba), Festuca gamisansii subsp. aethaliae (Elba), Mentha requienii subsp. bistaminata (Montecristo and Capraia) and Viola corsica subsp. ilvensis (Elba). Elba

684-427: The municipality of Campo nell'Elba . It is also part of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park . 42°45′N 10°18′E  /  42.750°N 10.300°E  / 42.750; 10.300 Capraia Capraia is an Italian island , the northwesternmost of the seven islands of the Tuscan Archipelago , and the third largest after Elba and Giglio . It is also a comune ( Capraia Isola ) belonging to

720-446: The shearwater and the rare Audouin's gull are common on all the islands. The archipelago has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports breeding populations of European nightjars , Scopoli's shearwaters , European shags , Audouin's gulls , Peregrine falcons , Moltoni's warblers , Marmora's warblers , Dartford warblers and black-eared wheatears . The rich productivity of

756-450: The Etruscan carpa (stone), a word that comes from the archaic Greek Kalpe (sepulchral stone). The Romans called the island Capraria , name morphing often mistaken to reflect the presence of wild goats ( Latin : caprī , or Greek: capros κάπρος, wild boar), while it actually was meant to indicate a rocky island, "a place for goats". In the 4th century AD it housed a cenobium , where

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792-500: The Tuscan archipelago, with the greatest diversity on Elba, with 24 species. The introduction of the wild boar to Elba several years ago has caused problems regarding the conservation of some plant species. All the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago are a place where the migrant birds take a stop along their seasonal movement from north to south and vice versa; the favourite places are Gorgona, Palmaiola, Cerboli and Montecristo. The Falco peregrinus brookei nests on Elba and Capraia,

828-511: The archipelago dates to the Triassic period according to the type of the rocks. In the Quaternary the archipelago was related to the sea level fluctuations due to the glacial and interglacial periods; in the last glaciation the sea level fell 100 metres (330 feet), and Elba became a peninsula joined to the continent and to Pianosa. The Würm glaciation was followed by a warming phase, and

864-526: The archipelago including: and skerries as: Others islets and skerries that are not part of the archipelago: The Tuscan Archipelago represents a region of correlation between the Sardinia - Corsica block and the Italian Peninsula ; it is formed by seven islands and several islets and skerries which have different geological provenance as magmatic , sedimentary and metamorphic rocks . The origin of

900-563: The church of St. Stephen now stands. The early 5th century poet Rutilius recorded that the island was "a mess" and that there were many monastic communities by his time. In 1055 it was raided by Saracen pirates, and later the Republic of Pisa owned it. It became part of the Republic of Genoa after the Battle of Meloria , being assigned to the patrician Jacopo de Mari (1430). In 1540 the Genoese built

936-415: The coastal waters provides habitats for various marine life, even dolphins and whales, including fin and sperm whales . The archipelago is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with high insolation all year round. The archipelago's flora differs from island to island; the smaller have a vegetation similar each other of macchia mediterranea and garrigue formed by evergreen plants. Elba has

972-490: The foundation of Gorgona Abbey in the Middle Ages . After its closure, the monastery grounds and buildings were appropriated in 1869, at the foundation of an agricultural penal colony , which is currently in use. Giannutri is a small island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the coast of Tuscany , Italy ; it is the southernmost island of the Tuscan Archipelago and it is a frazione of the comune of Isola del Giglio in

1008-541: The islet is an active lighthouse . Scoglio d'Africa (or Scoglio d'Affrica), also named Formica di Monte Cristo ("Monte Cristo's Ant"), is a solitary small skerry belonging to the Tuscan Archipelago located in open sea between Tyrrhenian Sea and Corsica Channel . It is located 18.5 kilometres (11.5 miles) west of the Island of Montecristo , 23.5 kilometres (14.6 miles) south of Pianosa Island and 43.1 kilometres (26.8 miles) east of Corsica . Administratively it belongs to

1044-589: The late 16th century. The Spaniards heavily fortified the two ports, as the main stronghold of the State of Presidi . In 1815, after Napoleon 's defeat, the Argentario was handed over to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany , to which it belonged until 1860, when it became part of the newly united Kingdom of Italy . The painter Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio , died of a fever at Porto Ercole in 1610. During World War II ,

1080-723: The reduced traffic passing on the nearby Via Aurelia , the area was sparsely settled. In the heart of the Middle Ages, the promontory became a possession of the Monastery of San Paolo in Rome. It represented in the so-called Carolingian Gate at the Monastery of St. Anastius outside Rome. Following the history of Orbetello, the promontory was a possession of the Aldobrandeschi , the Orsini , King Ladislaus of Naples and Siena , until Spain acquired it in

1116-499: The sea rose slowly to reach its current level. The archipelago is distinguished by some endemic taxa which are protected in order to avoid the loss of the biodiversity of fauna and flora . The most important are Oxychilus pilula of Capraia; and Oxychilus gorgonianus of Gorgona; Coenonympha corinna , Podarcis muralis colosi and Vipera aspis francisciredi of Elba; and Vipera aspis montecristi of Montecristo. 31 species of mammals, several introduced, are known from

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1152-492: The settlements of Argentario were heavily bombed, with numerous losses. The port of Santo Stefano was destroyed, and was rebuilt only in the 1950s. The railway that connected Orbetello to the mainland was never rebuilt. Tuscan Archipelago The Tuscan Archipelago is a chain of islands between the Ligurian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea , west of Tuscany , Italy . The islands' proximity to several major cities has made them

1188-674: The terms of the Treaty of Versailles (1768) . In 1796 the British, under Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson , occupied the island for a short time, following the creation of the short-lived Anglo-Corsican Kingdom . After the Congress of Vienna in 1815 annexed the Republic of Genoa to the Kingdom of Sardinia , Capraia became part of the province of Genoa . Then in 1925, it was assigned to Livorno. Between 1873 and 1986

1224-634: The village by the one and only asphalted road on the island. The village, dominated by the Fortress of St George, preserves its original characteristics unaltered. Sites of tourist interest include the Church of the Assunta, the Church of St Nicola and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Church and Convent of St Antonio, and the Church of St Stefano alla Piana. The Fortress is not open to visitors. The island produces wine, and

1260-623: Was a personal property of the Domitii Ahenobarbi family, who obtained it in return for the money they lent to the Roman Republic in the Punic Wars . The current name probably finds its origin here, since Argentarii was the name of money lenders in ancient Rome. Later an imperial possession, it was ceded to the church by Constantine the Great in the 4th century AD. In the Middle Ages, due to

1296-644: Was an island in the past, but the sea currents and the Albegna river joined it with the mainland through two so-called tomboli (stretches of land), the Tombolo of Giannella and the Tombolo of the Feniglia. The highest peak of Monte Argentario is the Punta Telegrafo at 635 metres (2,083 ft) above sea level. The landscape and the coast are mainly rocky, with numerous harbors, usually with rock beaches. The municipal seat

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