The charm and the mystery of the island of Montecristo

Anytime I look at the sea and and the Tuscan archipelago in front of me, I start dreaming. In bright and clear days, from the beach of Castiglione della Pescaia you can easily distinguish the Giglio and Elba Islands, the Corsica in the distance and, just in front of you, the mysterious and charming Montecristo.
 

It is Montecristo that makes me dream the most. Maybe because the wonderful adventure by Dumas deeply impressed my imagination when I was a child, so much that the Count of the isle with its thousands vicissitudes stole my heart and fantasy.
How many times did I totally identify with the count of Montecristo and wish to meet the Abbot Faria to have that famous map and then swim until completely worn out and venture into that island to look for the treasure?!
Montecristo is a natural reserve today.
 

Only a very few lucky ones per year have the chance to go ashore and enjoy its beauty.
Some years ago I already had the opportunity to go, but when we were almost there, closed to the craved little harbour, we had to come back because of bad sea conditions.
What a disappointment!!
But today it’s a splendid day and everything is going fine. We leave early in the morning from the harbour of Castiglione della Pescaia, the air at dawn has a marvellous taste, colours appear slowly around as the light makes shapes bright and well-defined. We depart finally, heading to the island of my dreams.
 

 
The calm sea allows me to look at the three peaks of the isle, closer and closer. After circumnavigating it, we disembark in the small port that looks towards the major islands.
Someone, together with the forest rangers, continues on foot to visit the convent ruins on the summit of the isle, while we leave again for the Isolotto d’Africa. It is a microscopic islet, literally in the middle of the sea, amongst Montecristo and Corsica, used as a lighthouse for seamen.
 

The sea is wonderful, it is in a blue that invites you to take a swim. The strong current, that normally comes in all directions in this point, lets only a few of us reach the island swimming.
 

It’s hard to me thinking of the people that used to live here in the past, when the lighthouse was not automatic as today, and had to keep it operative during stormy nights. They have been “unknown heroes” for seamen and a safe navigation.
We come back to the port for lunch and finally go ashore on the Island! Granite is the protagonist, together with goats, a lacking vegetation and vipers that are raised here to take their precious serum.
 

There is no drinking water, as the spring water is rich in arsenic because of the granite. Closed to the port there are a few constructions: the Imperial Villa, the forest rangers barracks and the guardian house.
With the amazed eyes of a child, I look for a possible hiding place of the treasure. I ask the guardian Giorgio, he told me that probably the treasure was composed by the Convent decor, that had been hidden to Saracen pirates and never rediscovered.

While the gemstones had already been recovered by the Dumas Count of Montecristo, thanks to the good abbot Faria indications.
I have no chance then, to come back from this fantastic place as the new Count of Montecristo! But who cares, I dreamt and I will keep on dreaming. I will never forget what it’s been and what I saw. A fabulous day where my heart cherished.
See you soon Montecristo, isle of my dreams.

Article by Nadia Poltronieri
Translation by Gemma Bancalà