Giglio Island

Three towns are distributed on the island territory: Giglio Porto on the eastern side, Giglio Castello at 405 m above sea level, and Campese on the western side. The three settlements, which together have 1550 inhabitants, all have very ancient historical origins. The Port stands on the ruins of the ancient Roman Villa del Saraceno, a large residential complex of the senatorial family of the Enobarbi inhabited from the late republic and later incorporated into the dwellings of the island's fishermen; the Castle, on the other hand, is an example of a military construction pertaining first to the Aldobrandeschi (the Rocca in the upper part dates to the 10th - 11th century AD.C.) and Pisan later, with the construction of the charming village starting in the 12th century A.D.; there is also no lack of evidence here of more ancient frequentations, starting at least with the Villanovans and later the Etruscans. Campese, on the other hand, is a mining village, linked to the extraction of pyrite that was known and frequented as early as prehistoric times, as evidenced by Neolithic artifacts found in the area. History and culture are spread throughout the territory of Giglio, and with a little imagination it is not difficult to imagine the lives of men who since ancient times have chosen the island to live in contact with nature and exploit the resources of this paradise on earth.