Discover Tavolara Island 0 Comments

Discover Tavolara Island

In front of the Gabbiano Azzurro Hotel & Suites Tavolara Island shows the side of its grandeur that, according to a mythological concept, would represent the ship of the Phaeacians, guilty of having brought back Ulysses to Ithaca and for that guilt petrified by the god of the sea Poseidon, angry with Ulysses for having blinded his son, the Cyclop Polyphemus.

And just at the beginning of 2018 Tavolara offers us a new surprise.

During excavations on the cape of the island towards Punta Spalmatore the vestiges of a settlement of people from Etruria dating back to the IX century A.C. have been found.

Remains of the Copper Age, fragments and graffiti representing human outlines painted on the surface of a cave had anticipated the existence of exchanges between Nuragic Sardinia and Etruria, but until this very moment the Etruscan community presence settled in Sardinia had not yet been attested.
"It is therefore an absolute novelty that constitutes a jump forward in the reconstruction of the relations between the two shores of the Tyrrhenian period in protohistoric times", superintendent Francesco Di Gennaro said. The finding suggests that there have been other Villanovan settlements (ie prior to the Etruscans) in Gallura, given the geographical position facing Etruria.

Another excellent reason for visiting and getting to know Tavolara, the smallest kingdom in the world. In 1806, Giuseppe Bertoleoni (of Corsican-Genoese origin) aboard a small ship in search of a land where to live, reached the beautiful and uninhabited island of Tavolara.

He settled there with his family, devoting himself to wild goat farming, characterized by a particular golden colouring of the teeth, perhaps due to the clusters of yellow flowers they are used to eat.

In 1836 the king of Sardinia, Carlo Alberto of Savoia, noticed the unknown island and decided to land there. Presenting himself as the king of Sardinia, Giuseppe Bertoleoni, surrounded by golden goats, replied: "And I am the king of Tavolara!" Amazed, Carlo Alberto officially confirmed this title.  

An excursion to Tavolara is the paradise to diving enthusiasts. The northern coast is inaccessible because it is a military zone that hosts a NATO base. The lower part, however, has many beaches and a marina where to taste delicious fish dishes. The top offers an interesting walk for trekkers but to be performed only with authorized guides. Nearby there are two other islets, Molara and Molarotto for a swim in a very special sea. Tavolara can only be reached by boat and there are interesting excursions that can be booked at the Gabbiano Azzurro Hotel & Suites desk.

 

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written by Daniela Toti

 

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