Montecristo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Monte Cristo | |
---|---|
Geography | |
Location | Ligurian Sea |
Archipelago | Tuscan Archipelago |
Area | 13 km² |
Highest point | Fortezza 646 m |
Administration | |
Italy | |
Region | Tuscany |
Province | Livorno |
Demographics | |
Population | uninhabited |
Montecristo is a small Italian islet, approximately 4.3 kilometers across at its widest point, located about halfway between Corsica and mainland Italy; south of Elba and west of Giglio. It is part of the Tuscan Archipelago. The island is probably best known as a fictional setting in the novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, père, but the actual island does not correspond closely to the description in the novel.
Monte Cristo is Italian for "The mountain of Christ", which has led some to believe it is the reason Dumas picked it for the book.
The island is remote and kept by the Italian government as a nature preserve and hunting park, and only accessible by private yacht and permit. There are no structures on the island, though it was formerly the site of a prominent monastery, San Mamiliano, whose ruins remain visible.
As of 2008 there are plans of opening the island to limited tourist traffic.