Ventotene
Ventotene Island: a gem of the Tyrrhenian Sea
Hello everyone! Today I want to talk about a beautiful island in the Tyrrhenian Sea: Ventotene. Located between the coasts of Lazio and Campania, this volcanic island is part of the Pontine Islands archipelago. The island covers an area of about 1.9 square kilometers and has a maximum altitude of 139 meters. Ventotene is an ideal place for a seaside vacation, for the beauty of its landscapes and the richness of its millennia-old history.
Geography of Ventotene
Ventotene is a elongated-shaped island, rising from a submerged volcano with a seabed that reaches a depth of 700 meters. Administratively, the island is part of the municipalities of Ventotene and Lazio and the province of Latina. On the eastern side of the island is Santo Stefano Island, about 2 kilometers away, while Ponza Island is about 40 kilometers to the northwest.
The Millennia-old History of Ventotene
Ventotene has been known since ancient times, even during the Greek and Roman eras, when it was called Pandataria or Pandateria. The island then became famous for being a place of exile for important figures of Roman history, such as Emperor Augustus' daughter, Julia Major, and Emperor Tiberius' granddaughter, Agrippina Major, who starved herself to death on the island. Later, in 62 AD, Emperor Nero exiled his first wife, Claudia Octavia, to the island of Ventotene.
Today, Ventotene still displays many traces of the Roman period, such as the ruins of villas, an ancient aqueduct, the old port, and fishponds carved into the volcanic tuff rock.
The Settlement of Ventotene and the Confino During Fascism
Despite human presence on the island since the Roman period, Ventotene remained predominantly uninhabited until 1771, when King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies decided to populate it with settlers from Campania. During the Fascist period, from 1941 to 1943, many anti-fascists of all tendencies were confined on the island, including Sandro Pertini, Luigi Longo, Umberto Terracini, Pietro Secchia, Eugenio Colorni, Altiero Spinelli, and Ernesto Rossi. The latter two wrote the famous "Manifesto of Ventotene" on the island, an important document proposing the creation of a federal state of European States, modeled after the United States of America, to safeguard European civilization.
Today, the island of Ventotene attracts visitors from all over the world, for its natural beauty, the richness of its history, and the opportunity to dive among submerged archaeological remains.
Conclusions
What can I say, Ventotene is a true gem of the Tyrrhenian Sea, an island of a thousand shades, extraordinarily beautiful and rich in history. A place that is definitely worth visiting at least once in a lifetime, among crystal-clear waters and archaeological treasures hidden beneath the sea surface. I hope this short virtual journey has inspired you to discover the wonder of Ventotene in person. Bon voyage!
