Giannutri
Some ferries disembark at Cala Spalmatoio, while most dock at Cala Maestra, and the route which connects these two points is the only one that can be followed without a guide. Excursions to the Roman villa or to the area protected by the Tuscan Archipelago National Park must be booked, allowing you to visit the natural and monumental beauties that are scattered around the small island of Giannutri.
Giannutri is the southernmost of the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago and is located 14 km from Giglio and about 20 km from Monte Argentario, where daily connections depart from in the summer season. Its 11 km of coastline are mostly characterised by high cliffs and the only two landing points are the bays of Cala Spalmatoio and Cala Maestra.
The island experienced an important occupation during the Roman period, between the late Republic and the Empire, when the Enobarbi family chose it as the base for one of their maritime villas (along with the Saraceno villa on Giglio and the Santa Liberata villa near Porto Santo Stefano). The enormous size of the complex occupied the entire eastern portion of the island, distributing productive and functional structures, such as cisterns and fishponds, along with residential structures, such as peristyles, bedrooms, reception rooms and latrines, across the Mediterranean scrub. The rich marble furnishings, together with evidence of the scale of the rooms, have attracted scholars and archaeology enthusiasts since the 19th century.
L’Isola archeologica per eccellenza: tutta la sua porzione meridionale è interamente occupata dalla grande villa marittima
The excavation of the structures to which they dedicated their lives was carried out with love and dedication, immersed in contemplation of the past. The ex-Garibaldino Adami and his companion Marietta, enraptured by the island’s charm and peace, also decided to spend their remaining days in voluntary exile on the small island, together with the seagulls, the crystal-clear sea and the remains of the great Roman villa that once belonged to Nero.
