Discover Ponza

Ponza is an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, facing the Gulf of Gaeta, 21 nautical miles south of San Felice Circeo — 33 kilometres south of Cape Circeo. It is the largest island of the Pontine archipelago, which also comprises Gavi, Zannone, Palmarola, Ventotene and Santo Stefano. Of those, only Ponza and Ventotene are permanently inhabited.

It belongs to the province of Latina, in Lazio. In the past it formed part of the province of Terra di Lavoro, which became the province of Caserta, and of the province of Naples.

Its shape is its signature. The island runs from the Faraglione La Guardia in the south, marked by the lighthouse of Punta della Guardia, to Punta dell'Incenso in the north-east, and it is narrow and elongated in a way that recalls the letter i — whose dot is the island of Gavi, separated from Ponza by an arm of sea just 120 metres wide.

Administratively, Ponza together with Zannone (uninhabited), Palmarola (inhabited only in summer) and Gavi (a handful of people in summer) forms the Comune di Ponza: 9.87 square kilometres, 3,107 inhabitants. The island itself covers 7.5.

The main settlement and seat of the comune is the town of Ponza, in the centre-south of the island on its eastern coast.

Where is Ponza? In the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the Gulf of Gaeta, 21 nautical miles south of San Felice Circeo — 33 kilometres south of Cape Circeo. It belongs to the province of Latina, in Lazio.

How big is it? The island covers 7.5 square kilometres. The Comune di Ponza — which also takes in Zannone, Palmarola and Gavi — covers 9.87 square kilometres and has 3,107 inhabitants.

Why is it said to look like a letter? It runs from the Faraglione La Guardia in the south to Punta dell'Incenso in the north-east in a narrow, elongated shape recalling the letter i — and the dot is the island of Gavi, separated by an arm of sea just 120 metres wide.

Are the beaches sandy? No. All of them are gravel and stone, from wind and sea erosion of the rock walls they sit under. Chiaia di Luna, on the south-west coast, is the only one that also has a mix of fine sand, and it is ringed by a wide cliff sheer above the sea.

What is the highest point? Monte Guardia, 280 metres, at the island's southern extremity. Monte Core reaches 201 metres in the centre and Monte Schiavone 157 to the north.

Is it volcanic? Yes. The 25 kilometres of jagged coast are composed of kaolin and tuffs, and numerous volcanic craters, now extinct, are still recognisable.

Where does the name come from? Three explanations. A local legend derives it from Pontius Pilate, whose family is said to have owned a grotto here that still carries his name — but historians now doubt it, because Pontia appears in Strabo's Geography, which pre-dates Pilate. Pontia also means "land of bridges" in Latin, apt for an island of natural arches. And Italian sources prefer a Greek derivation from pontos, sea.

Is this Circe's island? It is suspected to be Aeaea in Homer's Odyssey. The Grotta della Maga Circe is on the west coast between Capo Bianco and Chiaia di Luna, and the tradition says she wintered in the cave and spent summers atop Monte Circeo on the mainland.

What did Ponza do in 209 BC? It was one of eighteen colonies out of thirty that supplied ships, men and wealth to support Rome in the Second Punic War — the opposite of Circeii, 33 kilometres away, which was one of twelve that refused. Ponza received tax relief until 89 BC, when it gained full Roman citizenship.

How large was the Roman population? It grew to almost 20,000 — against 3,107 in the comune today.

What are the Grotte di Pilato? Caves beneath Punta Madonna, below a submerged Roman villa and theatre. Despite the name they had nothing to do with Pontius Pilate; they were used for fishing.

Who are the islanders descended from? 52 Ischian families, 130 people in all, settled here under the Bourbons after the island had stood practically uninhabited for about two centuries because of Saracen raids.

Who built the town? Antonio Winspeare, an officer of the Engineers, and the engineer Francesco Carpi, in works running from 1768 to 1793 carried out by several hundred convicts serving life sentences — who were then shut into the island's new prison in 1795.

Was Mussolini held here? Yes, from 27 July to 7 August 1943, on an island his own regime had designated a place of political confinement in 1928.

Who is the patron saint? Pope Silverius, who died on nearby Palmarola in 537, celebrated on 20 June.

How do I get there? By hydrofoil or ferry from Anzio, San Felice Circeo, Formia, Terracina or Naples.