Isole Tremiti, Province of Foggia, Puglia

The name of the islands comes from their history of earthquakes - the word meaning tremors. The origins of the human settlements here go back to 3rd century BC, when they were known as "Insulae Diomedeae"; according to the legend, in fact, Diomedes, the war of Troy veteran, landed on the islands and chose them as his final resting place. In the 8th century AD the Abbey of Santa Maria was founded on the island of San Nicola, and for centuries this monastery ruled over the Apulian coast and hinterland. First under the Benedictines of Montecassino, it passed then to the cistercensian monks, and king Charles of Anjou in the early 14th century protected it with fortified walls. In the late 14th century it was destroyed by the Almissa pirates, who killed all the monks, and only in the 15th century it was restored by Pope Gregory XII. The islands were used for the internment of political prisoners, both under Augustus who sent here his granddaughter in exile, and during the Fascist régime.