San Nicola Rodi Garganico ferry

San Nicola Guide

The island of San Nicolas is located in the Isole Tremiti Archipelago in the Adriatic Sea, and lies just to the north of the Gargano Peninsular. The archipelago is made up of 5 islands: San Domino, St. Nicholas, Cretaccio, Capraia and Pianosa, and collectively, the islands form a commune of Italy's Province of Foggia and form part of the Gargano National Park. The island has been inhabited since the Iron Age (4th - 3rd centuries BC) and the Tremiti islands have been a place of confinement since ancient times. Roman emperor Augustus had his granddaughter Julia the Younger transferred here, where she died after 20 years. The island chain was ruled by the Abbey of Santa Maria a Mare at San Nicolas island during the Middle Ages. The Abbey was supposedly founded in the 9th century by Benedictine Monks from Montecassino. The islands were also used for the detention of political prisoners during the Fascist regime of Mussolini. Today, the islands are an important tourist destination because of their crystal clear warm waters. San Nicola is where most of the population live and is the site of a monastery where a monk named Nicolò was buried. Legend has it that every time someone tried to move his corpse off the island, a violent storm would break out, preventing navigation around the island.