Montecristo Island in Italy
Rating: 7,8/10 (7053 votes)  The island of Montecristo today is one of the most famous islands in the Mediterranean, mainly thanks to the novel The Count of Monte Cristo, written by A. Dumas. The island is part of the Tuscan archipelago. The island was known even during the voyages of the Phoenicians, but the first settlements appeared here only at the beginning of the 11th century. At that time, a monastery was erected on the island. Pirates landed on the island in the 16th century and from that time, until the end of the 19th century, Montecristo served as a haven for smugglers and pirates. During the Second World War, there was a military base of the Italian-German troops on the island, which was abandoned in 1949. In 1971, the island was declared a nature reserve, and in 1977 it became part of the European Network of Biogenetic Reserves. Montecristo Island was awarded the European Diploma in 1988 by the European Council international importance. Today the island is a nature reserve with limited access. Only small groups of tourists and scientists visit the island every year. Nowadays, the caretaker's family lives in Montecristo. The island is famous for its unique flora and fauna, and a rather rare species of endemic plants grows here.  We also recommend reading Stari Grad Varazdin Castle in Croatia Topic: Montecristo Island in Italy. |
