The island, situated in the centre of the Tyrrhenian Sea, hides in its interior a ‘hidden treasure’. The tourists, thanks to its mild climate, are able to enjoy a holiday full of surprises during any season, at close contact with pure and unspoiled nature, which is not easy to come by elsewhere.

A crystal clear sea, which is of an emerald green shade and teeming with underwater life and, surrounds a land, of which a high percentage is still wild (90%). The island is almost totally constituted by granite, with the exception of the promontory of Franco, which is characterized by limestone and Palaeozoic quartzite. It is also almost totally mountainous, with a maximum peak, the Poggio della Pagana, measuring 496m, little more then 1500 feet. From the top, particularly during clear weather, a spectacular panorama can be seen.. Possibly, the most interesting feature of the island is the variety of its 28 kilometres of coastline, which alternates cliffs of smooth granite, with coves, bays and sandy beaches, and that always allow the excursionists the chance of finding a sheltered place.

Indeed, the island is a real hidden treasure, for people who have a genuine relationship with nature, with friendly locals, walks, bird-watching, minerals and the underwater world.

 

The island was conceived around 4,5-5 million years ago, and thanks to its strategic location was to witness an eventful and fascinating history. Already inhabited in the Stone Age, and subsequently used by the Etruscans possibly as a military outpost, Giglio went through one of its most important period under Roman rule, and in particular under the family of the Domizi Enobarbi. The latter built a monumental patrician villa, in the Castellari area, enabling the island to become a paramount commercial junction of maritime trade between the various Provinces. The importance of the island is highlighted by the recovery of numerous Roman shipwrecks as well as the several mentions in the literature of the time (Julius Caesar "De Bello Civili I"—Pliny "Historia Naturalis"—Antonius Augustus "Itinerarium Maritimum" and Rutilio Numaziano). In 805 AD, Charlemagne donated the island to the Abby of the Tre Fontane, and was subsequently acquired by the Aldobrandeschi, the Pannocchieschi, the Gaetani, the Orsini families and also by the town of Perugia. In 1241, in the waters nearby Giglio, the fleet of Frederick II destroyed a Genoese convoy that was carrying numerous prelates on route to Rome for a council summoned by Gregory IX and the Emperor himself. From 1264 onwards, the island became possession of the town of Pisa, who was instrumental in the foundation of the urban settlement in Castello. During the following centuries the ownership of the island shifted many times and eventually came to rest in the hands of the Medici Family from Florence. It was under their rule that Giglio underwent several piratical raids at the hands of the Saracens, the most terrible being the one of Khair ad-Din, better known as Barbarossa. The last of these raids occurred on November 18th 1799 and was to be the only Gigliese victory over the "Turks". Since then the island saw a period of peace that favoured an economic recovery, boosted by an increased agricultural production, the exploitation of iron and hematite ores and by the renewed emphasis on stone quarries. Both mining and the extraction of granite were popular at the time of the Romans as testified by the many stone columns that can be found in many churches of Rome and in other various Italian basilicas. The closing down of the mines in 1962 triggered a new beginning for the island characterized by the current shift towards the tourist industry.

 

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