| Newsletter October 2008
Undiscovered Italy: Pontine Islands, hidden jewels in the Tyrrhenian Sea (Part 1)
Topic : Itineraries
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Pontine Islands Archipelago
An almost hidden and little known jewel the Pontine Islands give the feeling to be out of this world and offer an interesting alternative for an island break or a stop off for sea and sun during you cultural tour of Italy. The Pontine Islands are located in the open sea right in front of the southern Lazio coastline, belonging to the Province of Latina.
They are 6 islands separated in two groups with twenty-two nautical miles separating the two groups of islands and the solitary massive rock called La Botte (means ‘the barrel’) in the middle of the archipelago rising solitary in the open sea.
The northwest group includes the largest island of Ponza with the biggest community of islanders and the other smaller islands of Palmarola, Zannone and Gavi which are all uninhabited;
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the southeast group is formed by the tiny Ventotene, the only other island with small permanent population and Santo Stefano, which is just a little more than a large, uninhabited rock and also an ex-prison Alcatraz style. Today the sea around Ventotene and Santo Stefano is a
protected marine reserve .
All the Pontine Islands are volcanic in origin and rich in astonishing colors where sun, rocks and plants creates magical landscapes surrounded by crystal clear waters of the deep South Tyrrhenian Sea.
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The Pontine are no doubt a stunning volcanic archipelago just off the coast of Lazio, offering turquoise waters, tiny vineyards, wild herbs and flowers. These small islands and the solitary rock of ‘La Botte’ are an extraordinary group of islands in the Tyrrhenian sea because of the variety of their coastlines, the colors of their volcanic rocks, the small, attractive villages and ports in traditional Mediterranean style.
The small communities of islanders built their houses in the traditional Mediterranean architectural design with the picturesque pastel shades reproducing the typical colors of the Mediterranean. The colorful houses grouped together on the hills of Ponza and the green, flatter Ventotene symbolizes the tenacious spirit and endurance of the islanders who lived in isolation for centuries as fishermen and farmers far from any other community on land.
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Life was not easy here as the islands were frequently attacked and used by pirates of any sort since before the ancient Greeks and Romans times. The Pontine Islands were raided by pirates and Saracens also during the Middle Ages and were abandoned as a consequence but later were repopulated and officially included in the Unification of Italy in 1861. Many of the public buildings in Ponza and Ventotene shows clearly their legacy bearing the hallmarks of the 18th century, when the islands were re-populated by the Bourbons after centuries of abandon.
In spite of the increasing number of tourists, these remote islands are known mainly to local seamen, fishermen and sailing lovers. In the summer it can be pretty crowded with wealthy Italians flocking in from Rome but foreigners are still some sort of a rarity.
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It a rather marked contrast with the chaotic frenzy crowds of Rome and once landed on their tiny, colorful ports travelers find a peaceful break from the hustle and bustle of Rome. The Pontine Islands are inspiring a feeling of peaceful remoteness, places where small and temporary human settlements have come and gone during the millennia of history of this corner of the Mediterranean and where time seems to have stopped. A mere one day after reaching the islands every visitor wakes up in morning to the soothing rhythm and azure waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the sound of seagulls in the blue sky.
Despite their long history and the evidence of Roman and pre-Roman ruins, still now the Pontine Islands are not a well-known tourist destination, except among the Italians who flock there in July and August.
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Ponza Island
Ponza is the largest island. It's full of magnificent grottoes and secluded beaches. Ponza shows characteristically gray, yellow and ash colored tuft formations that contribute to creating the peculiar and spectacular contrast with blue of the sea around the rocks. The Pilatus Caves are one of the many natural wonders at Ponza and most visitors take one or more boat trips to visit them from the sea.
In 313 BCE, the Romans colonized Ponza enriching it with major public works like the two temples, one devoted to the Dioscuri and another to the Venous Epiponzia. They built a magnificent aqueduct still partly used today and the first old port of course still visible. In 1734, Ponza and the other Pontine Islands became part of the Bourbons reign, who looked after Ponza’s renaissance after innumerable pirates and military invasions and after being the stage of many glorious naval fights.
For this reasons and since ancient times Ponza experienced a long periods of isolation that were still strong during Italy's twenty years of Fascism from 1925s. It was only after the Second World War that Ponza was rediscovered by few vip tourists mainly Italian actors and upper-class visitors and the island started its fame, that of an small and distant oasis of sea and sun. Its natural beauty together with the many historical aspects of thousands of years contributes to making the island a true paradise for sea lovers.
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Blissfully, with the exception of July and August there are few tourists here, so it’s a pleasure to wander through the unspoiled town and the fields and cliffs of the islands with amazing landscapes over the sea. The pastel houses of the port in Ponza rise in neat terraced rows from the busy harbor where luxurious yachts and colorful fishing boats moor in the tiny port side by side.
After the first few days of exploration you will then find yourself on your favorite beach; there are so many to choose from, and enjoy the feel of warm sun and sand with crystal clear water lapping your toes.
Ponza release a quiet, timeless off-the-beaten-path fascination just perfect to emulate and enjoy the feeling of la dolce vita. The best way to explore the beauty of Ponza, like all the other Pontine islands, is by a sailing. In fact, sailing around and between the islands and reaching
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Ponza by boat will reveal the details of the houses in the port, the Roman pools and the fascinating sight of the small churches and villages on the mountains. The scenery shows a wide sequence of promontories, marine caves, hidden bays, inlets and beaches, all of unique beauty.
Ventotene Island
Ventotene is a lot smaller than Ponza and just under three kilometers long and more peaceful and relaxing with not much night life scene a you can find during the summer in Ponza. This tiny and very peaceful island was born out of the sea some 800,000 years ago’ as the emerging tip of an underwater volcano and has a surface area of just 124 hectares and a permanent population of fewer than 500 people. The islanders supported the project for the creation of a marine and land nature reserve which was established by the Ministry of the Environment in 1999 to protect unspoiled the natural environment of this area of the Tyrrhenian Sea offering some of the most extraordinary settings and landscapes of the Mediterranean.
Ventotene is the preferred place to people looking for some genuine peace and privacy in beautiful natural landscapes. The island is formed by volcanic, mostly tufaceous rocks once used to build houses; its ancient and Roman port was also shaped by working and carving into the volcanic rocks as you can see when entering the port.
The island was first used as a base by the ancient Phoenicians, then the Greeks and the Romans already few centuries BC. It was emperor Augustus who built the first ancient port dug in volcanic rocks which is still in use today. The Romans left the most significant marks here with the ruins of Villa Giulia, once the luxurious residence of Giulia the daughter of Emperor Octavian Augustus; she was forced in exile on the remote Ventotene as punishment for her infidelity and immoral sexual conduct.
The famous Italian naturalist and archaeologist Folco Quilici renowned for his documentaries and writings about the ancient relationship between man and the sea wrote that
: “ Ventotene attracts not just for its beauty and not just because it has changed from a being a place of punishment to a holiday location but, perhaps, partly because the (ancient) “marine Rome” that elsewhere is merely ruins, here is alive; indeed is still at work in the port, a welcome sight for those accustomed to casting anchor in well-equipped marine areas; a sliver of ancient time that stood still 2000 years ago’, the port jetty and its mooring bitts, its depots, all hewn into the local soft living volcanic rock, are the very same a ever”.
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Although small, Ventotene has generally high and ragged coasts with few small but beautiful beaches just close to the small village area: Cala Rossano near to the Porto Nuovo (means new port) and Cala Nave with the three spectacular cliffs: Nave di Terra, Nave di Fuori and Scoglitello.
In isolated areas away from the port there are other stretches of beach such as: Parata Grande, Parata della Postina and Moggio di Terra. The history of Ventotene resemble much that of its larger sister Ponza with many centuries of total abandon and decadence due frequent pirates raids which made the island far too dangerous place where to live permanently. After the decadence and abandonment period of the Middle Ages the island was repopulated again by the Bourbons who commissioned and completed the new little village designed by Francesco Carpi and Antonio Winspeare during the second half of the 18th century
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From the tunnels carved milllenia ago’ through the rock to the man made Roman fish farms and old port, the beauty and history of this little known island enchants visitors straight away; each traveler to Ventotene is left with a powerful and unforgettable feeling of untouched peace and beauty in the middle of the open sea. With its beautiful crystal clear blue sea, sky and spectacular sunsets Ventotene is the perfect option for nature lovers, scuba divers, bird watchers, culture and history lovers or those simply wishing to relax and enjoy the sun and renowned local seafood cuisine at its best for the freshness of the ingredients.
The newsletter of November 2008 will describe the other group of smaller Pontine Islands of Palmarola, Zannone and Santo Stefano (part 2).
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