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Tuscan Archipelago >> History
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"From
the Roman Period to the “Signorie”
The Etruscan civilisation started to be overshadowed
by the rise of Roma in the 3rd century B.C. The remains of military
fortresses built to defend the territory are visible all over
the archipelago. The Etruscan civilisation started to be overshadowed
by the rise of Roma in the 3rd century B.C. The remains of military
fortresses built to defend the territory are visible all over
the archipelago. |
From
the Prehistoric Era
to the Etruscans |
From
the 16th Century
to Napoleon |
| Today
and the Penal Settlements |
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In 67 B.C. a Roman law tried to put to end the incursions of
pirates in the Mediterranean and enhanced the of the mines of
Elba as the iron was used to arm the ships that affronted the
plunderers. In the meantime the granite caves on Montecristo
were used to extract the green stone which adorned the Patrician
houses on the mainland. With the end of the pirating the extraction
of minerals also ended and flourishing trade harbours along
the coastline were founded. The islands exported vine, dried
fish, precious stones and agricultural products. Luxury villas
of the Romans started to be built, some of them got to the archipelago
because they had wanted to, others were confined on behalf of
the Roman emperors who wanted to get rid of people who had created
problems at home. This is the case of Agrippa Postumo who was
deported to Pianosa by the emperor August, his uncle, as Agrippa
hated the emperors family. Giglio and Giannutri became property
of the descendents of the mad emperor Nero, but also Capraia,
Gorgona and Elba have marvellous Patrician villas. When the
terrible persecutions of Christians started in Rome, many Christians
were deported to the islands of the archipelago. The victims
of the imperial deportation built catacombs and hermitages for
the monastery life which was extended to other parts of Europe
from the Tuscan islands. The monks on Capraia built a small
convent and the church of Santo Stefano Protomartire in Piano
in order to satisfy their spiritual life. This example was followed
by others on Montecristo and Gorgona. In 500 the Pope Gregorius
the Great used Gorgona as a place for confinement and penitence
for monks who had been too restless and more interested in other
pleasures than the spiritual pleasure. The monastery of San
Mamiliano on Montecristo remained a vital centre of the monastery
life until 1500 when it was sacked by the plunderer Dragut who
took the big treasure. The writer Alexandre Dumas was so fascinated
by the story that he wrote about the search for the plunderer
in the famous book “The Count of Montecristo”. After a long
period of decline, coinciding with the incursions of the barbarians
in the whole peninsula, the archipelago starts to re-flourish
when, around the X century, it becomes part of the Marine Republic
of Pisa which decides to extract minerals again. A period of
economic prosperity begins on Elba and Giglio thanks to the
metallurgical activities. The prosperity also involves the smaller
islands as they are located along the main trade routes. But
the peace did not last long. With the rise of Genoa and its
conflicts with Pisa for the supremacy of the Mediterranean the
archipelago is the centre of battles and violence. The final
battle in Meloria in 1284 is a total disaster for the Pisans
and the islanders, who had been loyal to their governors. A
new decline begins which from the XIV and the XV century led
to a famine and subsequently almost all inhabitants left the
islands. The archipelago then became property of different kingdoms
and governors, that decided to sell it to the best offerer,
until, in 1500, new bloodbaths started, as the strategic location
of the islands always led them to be in the centre of the plans
of politicians and European kings.
Photos from APT Tuscan Archipelago and Mediaweb srl.
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