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Underwater
archaeology
THE WRECKAGES OF THE TUSCAN ARCHIPELAGO
Due to the strategic location, the Tuscan islands have
always been used as a shelter for the navigators. Still today
it is possible to find many wreckages which testify not only
the antique and adventurous shipwrecks, but also the conflicts
during the I World War and the II World War close to the coastline
and the courses in the waters that surround the Tuscan archipelago.
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From
the Prehistory to the Romans |
| From
the Middle Ages to the Medici Family |
| From
the Medici Family to Napoleon |
| From
Napoleon till Today |
| Museums
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ELBA
The Procchio Wreckage
In the waters in front of the gulf of Procchio and
the Campo nell'Aia beach, at 2 metres depth, there is a semi-covered
wreckage from the I-II century A.C. Only the head emerges from
the sand, while the keel is 30 metres under the sand and it
seems that the inhabitants of Procchio have taken sulphur for
the vineyards from the wreckage thanks to its accessible location.
The ship, that probably was about 20 metres long, have preserved
and returned to the archaeologists plumb slabs amphorae, tiles,
precious glasses, sulphur cakes, granite balls and a precious
ivory statuette which represents Bacchus and Pan. A small oil-lamp
with the brand Ialex was found on the ship. It is the same brand
as the one found on a brick in the Roman villa of Cavo. Presumably
the ship transported materials for the building of the Villa
of Cavo.
The Pomonte Wreckage
The ship-wreckage that sank in the 70's lies at a
depth of 15 metres, close to the Ogliera rock, which got its
name from the sea-anemone that grows along its walls. It is
a almost 40 metres long ship with wood that sank close to Pomonte
due to a violent tempest.
The Porto Azzurro Treasure
The history of Elba is inevitably signed by the findings of
real treasures and the ever-lasting search for legendary ones.
This is the case of the Porto Azzurro treasure that according
to the legend sank together with the Spanish ship "Polluce"
that transported a big part of the goods of the king of Naples,
Ferdinand IV. The amazing stories told by the survivors, which
spoke about coffers full of gold and extraordinary precious
art, have stimulated the treasure-hunters and people who fancy
underwater archaeology. But the soundings of Porto Azzurro have
not returned anything yet. And the legend continues…
GIGLIO
Giglio Campese
In 1961 a group of divers, not very experienced ones and little
consciousness, found at the rocks close to the shoal of Secci
I Pinocchi, the wreckage of an Etruscan ship which sank 2600
years ago. They took all the precious goods aboard: Phoenician
and Punic amphorae, Etruscan vases, Corinthian cups and a precious
Corinthian bronze helmet. But the bravado of these pseudo sea-lovers
did not manage to take all of the invaluable treasure of the
ship dragged down into the depths and that according to the
scientist goes back to the Etruscan, or even the Greek period.
The excavations have revealed a stump of the keel and the rests
of the planking and brought back wood flutes, cups, oil-lamps,
vases, weapons, plectrums, a writing-desk and other items from
Turkey, Greece, the Etruscan ports and the north of Africa.
The Corinthian helmet taken by the divers is still in the hands
of the German tourist who took the goods from the wreckage and
he intends to keep it. It is a Corinthian masterpiece with two
wild-boars engraved on the top and a palm-tree with eleven petals
engraved on the cheeks.
GIANNUTRI
The Nasim Wreckage
At 4 a.m. the 12th of February 1976, the ship Nasim chocked
against the rocks of Punta Penello and sank. The wreckage of
this big ship under the Panamanian flag sailed between Livorno
and Alexandria and lies at a depth of 60 metres. Experienced
divers can thus see where it lies, surrounded by the cars that
it was shipping.
The Anna Bianca Wreckage
The wreckage that sank in the 70's for unknown reasons, lies
at a depth of 40 metres on the sand shoals of Cala Ischiaiola.
The ship is divided in two parts and the ward-room lies just
a few metres away, while it is difficult to visit the machinery-room
as there is a tangle of cables and flotsam around. The most
evil inhabitants say that the crew had planned the accident
in order to tap the insurance company for money.
CAPRAIA
The Aeroplane Wreckage
A German fighter fell into the water close to Capraia during
World War II. The wreckage still lies at about 600 metres from
the port entrance, at 45 metres.
The Motorboat Wreckage
About 20 years ago a motorboat suddenly caught fire
and was dragged out from the port to about 100 metres from the
cape of Porto Vecchio where it still lies at a depth of about
40 metres and hosts sea-eels and white breams.
Photos from APT Tuscan Archipelago and Mediaweb srl.
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