Observing the island from the shores around, it appears magical, fairytale, tranquil, an oasis of peace. Its monastery is now a haven for those seeking spiritual comfort and enlightenment, its one circular path is called the Way of Silence, changing to the Way of Meditation. When the tourists leave, the island retreats into itself: the few villas are shuttered, the nuns chant in the chapel, faint echoes of classical music waft over the waters from Villa Tallone.

 

But it hasn’t always been so peaceful – far from it. The island has lived millennia of strife and warfare: devastating sieges, bloodshed, beheadings, hangings, invasion and plague. Yet throughout two thousand years – or more – the spiritual aspect has never been extinguished. Before Christianity – introduced (or rather, imposed) by St Giulio – the island was, very likely, a holy island for the pagan people living in the area. Ever since St Giulio arrived and brought Christianity to the people around, the island has possessed a strong religious element that has survived the onslaught of the years

A tiny island, yet it offers to those who visit a much- an experience unlikely to be forgotten.