Tuscan Archipelago
| Tuscan Archipelago | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Waters | Tyrrhenian Sea | |
| Geographical location | 42 ° 47 ' N , 10 ° 17' E | |
|
||
| Number of islands | 7 larger 7 smaller ones |
|
| Main island | Elba | |
| Total land area | 292.4 km² | |
| Residents | 34,000 (2017) | |
 |
||
The Tuscan Archipelago ( Italian : Arcipelago Toscano ) is located in the Mediterranean Sea off the Tuscan coast of Italy . The islands of the Tuscan Archipelago are also called Tyrrhenian Islands (Isole Tirrene).
geography
The group consists of seven main islands:
- Elba (with seven municipalities that also include the islands of Montecristo and Pianosa )
- Giglio ( Isola del Giglio municipality )
- Giannutri (to the municipality of Isola del Giglio )
- Montecristo (to the municipality of Portoferraio )
- Capraia (municipality of Capraia Isola )
- Pianosa (to the municipality of Campo nell'Elba )
- Gorgona (to the city of Livorno )
Furthermore, several small islets and rocks belong to the archipelago: Scoglio d'Affrica (municipality of Portoferraio ), the Formiche di Grosseto (city of Grosseto ), Meloria (city of Livorno ), Palmaiola and Cerboli (both municipality of Rio ).
According to the IUCN , the Tuscan Archipelago is one of the most important natural wonders in the world.
The Tuscan Archipelago National Park ( Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago Toscano ) is the most extensive marine reserve in Europe with 60,000 hectares of protected sea area and around 18,000 hectares of protected land.
history
According to legend, the Tyrrhenian Venus lost its pearl jewelry when she emerged from the sea. It broke into splinters, from which today's islands emerged.
From around 750 BC The archipelago was increasingly under the influence of the Etruscans , who were interested in the extensive iron deposits and began to mine them. Around 453 BC Elba was temporarily occupied by the Greeks . 246 BC The Romans conquered the islands, which then belonged to the Roman Empire or its successor states for around 800 years .
The island of Elba was temporarily occupied by Great Britain in connection with the Revolutionary Wars and became part of France in the Peace of Amiens in 1802 . In 1814, on the day of Napoleon's abdication as Emperor of the French, Elba was transferred to Napoleon as a sovereign principality. From May 4, 1814 to February 26, 1815 he lived on the island. In the Congress of Vienna Elba was added to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and with this in 1860 came to the United Kingdom of Italy.
Among the small islands, Montecristo achieved literary fame through Alexandre Dumas ' novel The Count of Monte Christo (published 1844–1846).
In January 2012, in the archipelago near the island of Giglio, the cruise ship Costa Concordia with over 4,000 passengers on board ran on a rock underwater and was left lying on the bottom with a strong list. In the accident 32 people died.
tourism
Tourism has grown in importance and is now the main source of income. The Tuscan Archipelago is accessible by ferries from Livorno , Piombino and Porto Santo Stefano .
Gorgona is a prison island and can only be entered with a special permit.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Isola d'Elba , Isole de Toscana Magazine
- ↑ Dead in a shipwreck off Italy zeit.de, January 14, 2012