Island of Giannutri

The island of Giannutri is the most Southern in the Tuscan archipelago and it belongs to the Municipality of the Giglio Island. It is located 14 km to the South-East of Giglio and 14 km to the South of Argentario. Shaped like a half-moon, it has a calcareous ground and an indented and rocky coastline with many grottoes.

In the past it was called "Artemisia" by the Greek and "Dianium" by the Romans, in the 3^rd and 2^nd centuries b. C. it was an important trading crossing. Some archaeological findings however suggested that the island was inhabited also in the Neolithic and in the Bronze Age. As for what happened on the Giglio island, Giannutri was owned and governed by the Enobarbi family. Their presence on that territory is now shown by what remains of the villa from the 1^st – 2^nd century A.D. made by them. With is old names, we find the isle mentioned by Pliny the Elder and in the writings of the Roman geographer Pomponio Mela.
In the 3^rd century A.D. Giannutri was abandoned for unknown reasons. It is assumed that an earthquake damaged all the houses. The theory of the poet Rutilio Namazio is more extravagant: in the 5th century he narrated about a mice invasion that had put the inhabitants of the island to flight. The reappearance of Giannutri in the annals took place in the 9^th century with Charlemagne's donation of the island to the Abbey of the Three Fountains, another episode that joins the history of Giannutri with Giglio's.
After many passing of property during the Middle age, Giannutri was taken by Spain after the occupation of Siena, that had the power on it, made by the Iberian king Charles V. The island, which was considered a hiding-place for pirates at that time, remained under the rule of the Spanish crown until 1735 when it was invaded by the Germans and then given to Carlo di Borbone with a treaty. In 1801 it was annexed to the Kingdom of Etruria wanted by Napoleon, but it went back to the Grand duchy of Tuscany after the fall of the French emperor. It was necessary to wait for the royal decree of 1865, after the Unity of Italy, to have it finally annexed to the Municipality of Giglio. Today the island is the heritage of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago.
The ruins of the villa of Domizi Enobarbi are a very important archaeological site and the main non-naturalist attraction in Giannutri. Structurally it is a villa for "otium", that is conceived as a holiday house, isolated and in a little frequented area where the Enobarbi took refuge to take a rest from their commitments in the capital. The stamps that are still visible on some bricks let one suppose that a restoration work took place around the 1^st century A.D., while some finds show that it was frequented at least until the 4^th century.
The necropolis that has come to light near the villa suggested the scholars that a large community of slaves or freedmen populated the neighbouring areas. From the 5^th century on it was used as an emergency shelter for those who fled from the barbaric invasions until it was left completely deserted. It has an atrium decorated with a mosaic, proving its condition of luxury villa and from the first reconstructions it has been assumed that it could have a terrace overlooking the sea and many rooms as the "calidarium", whose walls had pipes with warm air.