Giglio, Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy
Giglio is an island off the coast of Tuscany in the Tyrrhenian Sea, known for its granite bedrock and wooded slopes. The island holds three inhabited settlements spread across different elevations: a harbor at the waterline, a fortified settlement on the hillside, and a village on the western shore.
The Etruscans used the site as a stronghold before Roman forces took control and turned it into an outpost in the western Mediterranean. During medieval times defenses were built against raiding pirates who threatened the coasts until the sixteenth century.
The San Pietro Apostolo church in Giglio Castello contains an ivory crucifix attributed to the craftsmanship of Renaissance sculptor Giambologna.
Ferries depart several times daily from the coast and reach the harbor after roughly an hour of crossing. Paths connect the three settlements, with ascents to the fortified hilltop requiring some uphill walking.
Divers found a sunken vessel from Etruscan times in the waters off the coast, loaded with copper bars and ancient containers. The discovery ranks among the oldest underwater wrecks in the western Mediterranean and has rested on the seafloor for more than two and a half millennia.
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