The Tyrrhenian Sea (Corsican: Mari Tirrenu, French: Mer Tyrrhénienne, Italian: Mare Tirreno, Neapolitan: Mar Tirreno, Sardinian: Mare Tirrenu, Sicilian: Mari Tirrenu, Latin: Mare Tyrrhenum) is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.
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The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia (to the west), Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria (to the east) and Sicily (to the south).
The maximum depth of the sea is 3,785 metres (12,418 ft).
The Tyrrhenian Sea is situated near where the African and European Plates meet; therefore mountain chains and active volcanoes such as Mount Marsili are found in its depths. The eight Aeolian Islands and Ustica are located in the southern part of the sea, north of Sicily.
The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Tyrrhenian Sea as follows:[1]
There are four exits from the Tyrrhenian Sea (north to south):
| Exit | Location | Width | Connected Sea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corsica Channel | between Tuscany and Corsica | about 80 kilometres (50 mi) | Ligurian Sea |
| Strait of Bonifacio | between Corsica and Sardinia | 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) | Mediterranean Sea (proper) |
| no name | between Sardinia and Sicily | about 290 kilometres (180 mi) | Mediterranean Sea (proper) |
| Strait of Messina | between Sicily and Calabria on the toe of Italy | 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) | Ionian Sea |
The Tyrrhenian Sea is divided into two basins (or plains), the Vavilov plain and the Marsili plain. They are separated by the undersea ridge known as the Issel Bridge, after Arturo Issel.[2]
Its name derives from the Greek name for the Etruscans, who were said to be emigrants from Lydia and led by the prince Tyrrhenus.[3] The Etruscans settled along the coast of modern Tuscany and referred to the water as the "Sea of the Etruscans".
The main ports of the Tyrrhenian Sea in Italy are: Rome, Naples, Palermo, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Salerno, Trapani and Cagliari. In France the most important port is Bastia.
In Greek mythology, it is believed that the cliffs above the Tyrrhenian Sea housed the four winds kept by Aeolus. The winds are the Mistral from the Rhône valley, the Libeccio from the south-west, and the Sirocco and Ostro from the south.
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