Italian Islands - The Tuscan Isles

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The name Giglio comes from the Greek word 'Aegilion' which means 'place of the goats,' as there used to be a lot of them on the island. Giglio belongs to the Tuscan province of Grosseto and the Commune of Giglio includes all three inhabited centres on the island as well as jurisdiction over the small island of Giannutri nearby. It is situated west of the Argentario promontory approximately 14 km away and an hour's ferry ride from Porto Santo Stefano. The island has 28 kilometres of coastline and a population of around 1600. The climate is pleasant and dry in the summer and the main season usually lasts until the end of October.

The three villages are all very different: Giglio Porto is a bustling port village in the east of the island where the ferries arrive; Giglio Castello is a hilltop village in the middle of the island; while Campese is a beach resort in the west of the island.

Geologically the island is mostly formed by grey granite rock and at first sight, especially when viewed from Monte Argentario, it appears entirely mountainous. The coast is fairly steep yet the island is blessed with some wonderful inlets like Giglio Porto and some beautiful sandy beaches like Arenella, Le Caldane and Le Cannelle in the east and the Bay of Campese in the west. The flora is typically Mediterranean including Erica, Corbezzolo and Ginestra flowers and the island is covered with deep-green foliage with a prevalence of Holm oaks, maritime pines and olive trees. Pines cover the south of the island past its highest peak at Poggio della Pagana. The local fauna is mainly wild rabbits, resident and migratory birds and the countless species of fish that populate the sea bed. There is also a colony of Mouflon sheep in the woods of Mezzo Franco above Campese.

The island has a rich history and has belonged to many leaders. There is some evidence that the island was inhabited in prehistoric times and it was certainly known about by the Etruscans. In the 1st Century AD under the Romans, Giglio, Giannutri and the Argentario all belonged to the powerful Enobarbi family. Traces of their villa remain today and can be found near the old Saracen tower in Giglio Porto. In the 9th Century Charlemagne gave the island to the rich Roman Abbey of the Three Fountains and in the early 1200s Sienna and Pisa fought over it until the Pisans won in 1264. In 1406 it came under the domain of Florence but forty two years later was conquered by Alphonse of Aragon and was later acquired by Pope Pius II. In the 1400s and 1500s Giglio was continually under pirate attack and inhabitants were sold as slaves in Constantinople. In 1558 it became the domain of the Duchy of Florence and remained a part of this kingdom until Italy was united in the late 1800s.

In the past, one of the main economic resources of the populace, together with fishing and mining pyrite and granite, was the cultivation of grapevines. However more recently the island's economy has been oriented towards tourism while fishing and agriculture have become more marginalised. Vines are still cultivated today however and in the harvest donkeys are still used to transport the grapes to the medieval streets of Giglio Castello. There are two types of local wine, Sangioveto and Ansonica, which are produced in a limited quantity and are frequently exported to the Tuscan mainland. The Sangioveto is a red wine which is a distant cousin of the Chianti while Ansonica is a dry white wine of a cinnamon colour whose flavour is redolent of freshly cut herbs and very difficult to compare to other wines but well worth a try.

Giglio offers plenty to satisfy almost all holiday tastes. Those who want to relax can sunbathe on the pretty sandy beaches, take a leisurely walk in the evening to get an aperitif, or can dine out in one of the many restaurants serving delicious Tuscan cuisine and fresh fish and seafood. Those in search of a more active holiday can go horse riding, play tennis or go swimming, snorkelling or diving in the limpid waters. Diving courses of all levels are offered on the island and other possible water sports include sailing, canoeing and windsurfing. Walks and hikes through the luxuriant nature are also an important island activity and there are lots of interesting itineraries to follow. For shopping there are markets on different days of the week in each of the three villages. Night life is fairly restrained on the island and other than the one disco, the popular evening pastimes are going to piano bars, eating out or wine-tasting in the old wine cellars of Giglio Castello.

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Giglio Porto

Until the 10th and 11th Centuries, Giglio Porto was the only inhabited centre on the island. In the early centuries of the Empire it was of great maritime importance for ships that would stop over on their way to Gaul or Spain. In terms of sightseeing, there are the remains of an early Roman Villa that only came to light in 1918. Next to the villa was a breeding ground for rearing moray eels and in this area and to the south of the port is the Torre del Saraceno, a tower built in 1596 under the rule of Ferdinand de' Medici.

Today Giglio Porto is a lively and popular small town with colourful houses built into the hillside. There are many good restaurants, gelaterias and bars as well as a small sandy beach with smooth flat rocks to sunbathe on to one side. It is connected by road to Giglio Castello by a steep winding road climbing up the vine clad terraced slopes and affording fabulous views of the lush vegetation and the sparkling sea. Ferries leave regularly for the chic harbour of Porto Santo Stefano in the Argentario for connections to the Tuscan mainland.

Giglio Castello

In the middle of the island, Giglio Castello is a typically Tuscan medieval hilltop village. The village is encircled by high and well-conserved fortress walls with seven old towers set out at various intervals, although originally there were ten. The fortress and its walls were originally built by the Pisans in the 12th Century and were later massively restored and reinforced by Ferdinand II de' Medici in 1623. Inside the walls there is an intricate maze of little alleys under sculpted archways. The charming houses are built from stone with steps leading up to them - unusually, stairs leading from one floor to another are all external so as not to take away indoor space. The parish church of San Pietro contains some 14th Century frescoes and some interesting older relics. Giglio Castello is a truly charming old village where it is fun to get half lost down the picturesque alleys and sample the local wine from one of the cantinas or dine out at one of the excellent restaurants. The views looking back down to sea from the walls are also well worth admiring.

Campese

Located on the west coast, Giglio Campese is the newest village on the island and is primarily a seaside resort with good facilities for holidaymakers. The resort is centred on the large sandy beach in a splendid bay marked on one side by a 16th C cylinder-shaped tower, La Torre del Campese, that Ferdinand de' Medici had built. On the side of the beach next to the tower is La Scogliera di Sparavieri where there are rock pools as well as large flat rocks to sunbathe on if you prefer rocks to the sand. At the other end of the bay is one of the most famous sights on the island the tall Faraglione rock jutting out from the sea. Further south, just beyond the residential centre is the remains of a small dock and the pillars of an old cableway used for loading iron pyrite that had been extracted from the mine in the Valley of Ortana directly on to ships. Campese is a ten-fifteen minute bus ride from Giglio Castello and there are regular services throughout the day.