Pianosa

Coordinates: 42°34′56″N 10°04′42″E / 42.58222°N 10.07833°E / 42.58222; 10.07833
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the island in the Tremiti Islands, off the Adriatic coast in the Apulia, see Tremiti Islands.

42°34′56″N 10°04′42″E / 42.58222°N 10.07833°E / 42.58222; 10.07833

Pianosa Island
Native name:
Isola di Pianosa
The harbour of Pianosa
Pianosa Island is located in Tuscany
Pianosa Island
Pianosa Island
Geography
LocationTyrrhenian Sea
ArchipelagoTuscan Archipelago
Area10.25 km2 (3.96 sq mi)
Length5.8 km (3.6 mi)
Width4.8 km (2.98 mi)
Coastline22 km (13.7 mi)
Highest elevation29 m (95 ft)
Administration
Italy
RegionTuscany
ProvinceLivorno
ComuneCampo nell'Elba
Capital cityPianosa
Demographics
Population10 (2001)
Pop. density1/km2 (3/sq mi)

Pianosa (Italian pronunciation: [pjaˈnoːza]) is an island in the Tuscan Archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy. It is about 10.25 km2 (3.96 sq mi) in area, with a coastal perimeter of 26 km (16 mi).

Geography

In Roman times the island was named Planasia (plain) because of its flatness – its highest point stands at 29 m (95 ft)

above sea level. It is a triangular-shaped land mass 14 km (9 mi) south west of Elba, and is a frazione of the municipality of Campo nell'Elba
. Pianosa is the fifth biggest island of the Tuscan Archipelago and the only one to be formed out of sedimentary rock of the Neogene and Quaternary; such fossils as echinoderms, mollusca and bryozoa of the Pliocene are frequently found.[1]

Flora

The vegetation consists mainly of Mediterranean species as lentisco, fennel, juniper, rosemary and Pinus halepensis, which was introduced on the island in the 1900s.

Fauna

The animals living on the island are largely small

dentex, moray, crawfish
and many other species of fish inhabit the seas around the island. [2]

History

Forte Teglia

The island was first inhabited in the

5000 BC the sea level rose and reached the current level, the few inhabitants took refuge on the nearby Scola islet where traces of their presence were found. Fishing tools and ceramics of the Mesolithic were found as well as artefacts in quartz and flint probably coming from Elba.[3]
The ancient
AD
. [4] Postumus remained there until his murder by an assassin sent by Tiberius, around 14 AD. Postumus lived in Pianosa at Villa Agrippa which was discovered by abbot Gaetano Chierici in the second half of 1800s and included a theatre, a thermal bath (Bagni di Agrippa), and a Roman villa with black and white mosaic floors with marine-themed mythological decorations.[3]

In the 4th century a small Christian community lived in Pianosa and left traces of their presence in catacombs. These are on two levels and are the largest north of Rome; 700 catacombs were discovered, indicating a fair number of residents.

Forte del Marchese

Pisa had custody of the island after a nearby naval battle victory in 874. In the

Cosimo I de' Medici the Principality of Piombino in exchange of a loan of 200,000 scudi
. [5]

Pianosa underwent numerous incursions by

Gorgona, Pianosa, Palmaiola and Montecristo were part of the French territory and in 1805 assigned the regions of Piombino, Elba, and the part of Pianosa that was fortified to his sister Elisa Bonaparte. On 9 April 1809 the Archipelago returned to Tuscan ownership, when Tuscany was ruled by the French. On 10 May British marines and sailors from HMS Seahorse and HMS Halcyon landed on Pianosa and Giannutri. The landing parties destroyed the forts and captured about 100 prisoners during four hours of fighting. British losses were one marine killed and one wounded.[6] The landing party also sent the farmers back to Elba and left the island deserted. Napoleon went to Pianosa from Elba twice, rebuilt the tower, set up a garrison to defend the island, and built some houses to settle farmers. The Congress of Vienna
assigned Elba and the Tuscan Archipelago to the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

Although 18th-century documents report that it was once densely wooded, humans and the animals they brought have destroyed the trees on the island, which is now largely grassland except some coastal areas. [7]

Penal colony

Palazzo della Specola

In 1856,

Procanico. There were poultry, pig, and cattle farms. From 1884 until 1965, because of its dry climate, Pianosa hosted convicts from the Italian mainland who had been affected by tuberculosis. At the beginning of the 1900s, the population on the island was 21 civilians, 80 prison guards, 40 soldiers, and 800 prisoners. Sandro Pertini, later President of the Republic of Italy, became an inmate in 1932 for political reasons. During World War II, on 17 September 1943, German troops invaded Pianosa and occupied it. On 19 March 1944 French commandos landed on the island, and after a short firefight, left with 40 prison guards as hostages. The following month, an Allied bomber attacked the island, killing six people.[8]

In the post-war period the colony returned to its original role as a prison island. A

Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, the former sanatorium, named Agrippa Branch, was transformed into a maximum security prison to confine Mafia bosses, and terrorists of the Red Brigades: Giovanni Senzani, Renato Curcio, Alberto Franceschini, and Bruno Seghetti. Under the article 41-bis prison regime, in May 1977 aircraft and helicopters transferred 600 convicts from all over Italy to Pianosa in only two days.[9]
A
Pisa Airport
and then to Pianosa by helicopter. [10]

The island was a prison fortress until 17 July 1997, when Gaetano Murana, the last 41-bis prison regime detainee, was transferred to another prison. Prior to that time Pianosa had hosted Mafia bosses such as

Nitto Santapaola and Giovanni Brusca
, and had become well known for the brutality inflicted on the prisoners. [11] The Prodi government decided to close the penitentiary permanently on 28 June 1998. Pianosa was evacuated in a single day by the remaining detainees and residents, leaving a few guards on the island as caretakers.[12][13]

Marine protected area

West coast of Pianosa

Pianosa is part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park, which has been a marine protected area since 1996 to preserve its archaeological and environmental heritage, which had been preserved in the past due to its inaccessibility to tourism.

The island permits visits by only 250 tourists per day, arriving by ferry from the Island of Elba. Fishing, diving, or anchoring are not allowed without a special authorization. During the summer season Pianosa can be reached once a week from Rio Marina and Piombino on the Toremar fleet,[14] twice a week from San Vincenzo and daily from Marina di Campo on the service.[15] It is possible to visit the island, but only with organized excursions or trekking by bicycle escorted by park guides.

Geographical landmarks

  • Bagni di Agrippa
  • Cala dell’Alga
  • Cala Giovanna
  • Cala dei Turchi
  • Cala San Giovanni
  • Cala di Biagio
  • Cala del Bruciato
  • Cala della Ruta
  • Golfo della Botte
  • Porto Romano
  • Punta del Marchese
  • Punta del Grottone
  • Punta Secca
  • Punta Brigantina
  • Punta del Segnale
  • Punta del Libeccio
  • Punta del Pulpito

In popular culture

B-25 Mitchell bombers as a bombardier with the 488th Bombardment Squadron (340th Bombardment Group, 57th Bombardment Wing, 12th Air Force).[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Pianosa (Toscana) — Italian Paleontological Society". paleoitalia.org. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Pianosa". www.islepark.gov.it. Archived from the original on 22 October 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  3. ^ a b "la storia dell'isola di pianosa: i primi pianosini". www.associazionepianosa.it. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  4. ^ "The Internet Classics Archive - The Annals by Tacitus". classics.mit.edu. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  5. ^ "la storia dell'isola di pianosa: da pipino il breve agli appiani". www.associazionepianosa.it. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  6. ^ Naval Chronicle, Vol. 22, p.255.
  7. ^ "la storia dell'isola di pianosa: i pirati, napoelone e il granducato". www.associazionepianosa.it. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  8. ^ "la storia dell'isola di pianosa: l'isola-carcere". www.associazionepianosa.it. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  9. ^ insorgenze (8 November 2009). "Pianosa, l'isola-carcere dei pestaggi, luogo di sadismo contro i detenuti". Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  10. ^ "Archivio Corriere della Sera". archivio.corriere.it. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  11. ^ ""Nell'inferno del carcere di Pianosa capii perché Scarantino mi accusava" - Palermo - Repubblica.it". Palermo - La Repubblica. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  12. ^ "Pianosa, il paradiso terrestre salvato dai detenuti". Video: ultime notizie - Corriere TV. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  13. ^ "la storia dell'isola di pianosa: il dopoguerra". www.associazionepianosa.it. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  14. ^ "Traghetti Isola d'Elba e Arcipelago Toscano: le tratte - Toremar". www.toremar.it. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  15. ^ "Arrivare a Pianosa, Elba, Capraia, Giglio e Corsica da SAN VINCENZO e PIOMBINO. Dormire a Pianosa". www.aquavision.it. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  16. ^ Scoggins, Michael C. Joseph Heller’s Combat Experiences in Catch-22 War, Literature & the Arts Journal

External links

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