About

History

Isola del Giglio is named after the Greek word aegilion which means goat. In Roman times patricians built vacation villas with luxurious features, like the swimming pool at Cala delle Murene. During the 1700 the island was raided by pirates, and the inhabitants built observation towers in Giglio Porto and Giglio Campese, and increased fortifications in Giglio Castello, at the top of the island, to fend off attacks. Granite from the island was used to build several historical buildings and monuments around Italy.

The house was built around 1860, the time period of the unity of Italy. It's built in massive granite blocks, which gives the house 50-cm-thick walls (20") and keep the house cool during the summer and warm during the winter. One feature that is noteworthy from an architecture history point of view, are the monobloc triangular-section granite steps of the internal and external stairs.* It was a house lived in by a large family of fishermen, the Ansaldo, and Diamantina, the matriarch of the family gave her name to the house (little diamond). The property was bought by the Ciriani family in 1967 and restored as a summer home, keeping it intact, nurturing it and restoring some of its original features. Recently the house has been refurbished inside while keeping the rustic character outside, to welcome guests who love an authentic vacation experience.

Note*:

While granite steps are common around the island, triangular-section steps sculpted in monoblocs are quite rare.