Isola Piana - Carloforte

Isola Piana near Carloforte preserves the remains of a historic tuna fishery and is now a protected nature reserve.

Why it matters

The island's successive uses include religious settlement, penal colony, noble fief and tuna fishing. The former tonnara links Isola Piana to Carloforte's maritime culture, while the reserve protects important seabird habitat.

What to notice

The old fishing settlement includes dwellings and a noble residence associated with the tonnara. Mediterranean scrub and gardens occupy the island, which is a nesting area for Eleonora's falcon, yellow-legged gull and little tern.

Context and history

A tuna fishery on Isola Piana is documented from 1698. The operation was modernised in 1898 by Marquis Salvatore Pes and closed in 1964. After a period of abandonment, the village was restored from 1975 and converted to private residences. The mattanza tradition continued in the wider Carloforte area.