Porto Ercole

Porto Ercole is the smaller of the two places on the Monte Argentario peninsula on the southern edge of Tuscany. Together with Porto Santo Stefano, it forms the municipality of Monte Argentario.

History

The Roman history of Monte Argentario under the influence of Domitii Ahenobarbi family is well documented.

In the Middle Ages the small base joined together with the entire mountain range hands several times: After the Aldobrandeschi (13th century), the Orsini (14th century) and Ladislaus (Naples ) ( 1410-1414 ), he finally fell to Siena.

1555 was the Sienese Porto Ercole venue stubborn resistance in alliance with the French against the Spanish Habsburgs under King Philip II in alliance with Cosimo I de ' Medici of Florence. After a long siege by the Milanese Marchese di Marignano, an older brother of Pope Pius IV, on land and by Admiral Andrea Doria to water fell Porto Ercole in June and has been in the Treaty of Brussels, together with Porto Santo Stefano, Orbetello, Ansedonia Talamone and Porto Longone together with the Spanish garrison state Stato dei Presidia. This integrated Sienese those possessions that are not allowed to keep for his Grand Duchy of Tuscany Siena Peculiar Cosimo I de ' Medici.

After Porto Ercole shared the fate of the Spanish garrison state, which the Austrians conquered 1707. Porto Ercole resisted, but was forced on March 22, 1712 for accession. 1737 came the Stato dei Presidia under the rule of the Bourbons, in 1801 Napoleon agreed imitated him in his Etruscan Republic. After its demise in the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the territory came to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and 1860 to the Italian nation-state.

Attractions

• The main attraction of the place is the massive fortifications Filippo, Santa Caterina, Stella and La Rocca, which were founded by the Spanish administration of the garrison state in the 16th century. Filippo is the oldest part, named after his patron, King Philip II military architect Giovanni Camerini put four bastions, surrounded by a moat, with access via a drawbridge on. In the basement, the powder magazine and other ammunition depots were located. The applied slightly below on the same hill battery Santa Caterina housed the artillery. La Rocca was built on another hill later. Inside there is a split in small courtyards citadel, which is connected by a gallery with the battery Santa Barbara. Forte Stella takes its name from its star-shaped floor plan. Numerous loopholes of artillery, both for land and lake view available. Also, this fort was accessible through a drawbridge. The fortifications are now privately owned and are not publicly visible.
• The Palazzo Cansani on the Piazzetta di Santa Barbara was built in 1508, but was destroyed by an attack by pirates, who led Khayr ed- Din Barbarossa. The Spaniards built it up again and used it as a seat of government of the Stato dei Presidia.
• The small old town with borgo- character ( staircases ) has a number of original archways from the time when Siena was independent.
• The parish church of Sant 'Erasmo is Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1573-1610) is buried.
• Along the marina runs a summer lively frequented promenade with shops, cafes and seafood restaurants. Out of season, many of these facilities are closed.

Feniglia

Northeast of the town extends along the so-called Lagoon of Orbetello a 6 km long sandy beach to the south of the three headlands.

Here in the 17th century still widely surrounded by the malaria-infested swamps of the Maremma lagoon Caravaggio was found dead on 18 July 1610. It is unclear whether he died from malaria or from the consequences of an injury that he had suffered a year ago in Naples during an argument. Caravaggio had been on the flight to Rome, because he sought his opponents after life.

Today lively bathing and camping areas for the beaches just east of Porto Ercole are characteristic. On the Spit, which is not accessible by car, pine forests extend through the bike and hiking trails. According to reports, fallow deer and wild boar are sometimes even more often to be seen.

Economy

Main source of income is tourism. Many hotels and apartment complexes, isolated and rural tourism are aligned on a longer vacation stays of guests; also come to the season reinforced by day-trippers. At the harbor dominated upscale seafood restaurants.