Ponza

Ponza is the largest of the Pontine Italian islands, located 33Km south of cape Circeo in the Tyrrhenian sea. Other Pontine islands include Gavi, Palmarola, and Zannone.

Its surface area is 7.3 square kilometers. Located in a beautiful landscape, the island's isolation destined it to serve as a penal colony by various regimes. During the two decades of fascism the island, together with the nearby Ventotene, served as a prison for political opposents of Mussolini's regime.

The island was inhabited from neolithic through Roman times, but abandoned during the Middle Ages due to constant raids by Saracens and pirates. During the 18th century, the Kingdom of Naples re-colonized Ponza and today the island serves as a major tourist attraction.

The northernmost island of Zannone serves as a wildlife refuge for some flora that are no longer found elsewhere in the Mediterranean. It is part of the Circeo National Park.