- Pianosa
Infobox Islands
name = Pianosa
image caption =
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locator
native name =
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location =Ligurian Sea
coordinates =
archipelago =Tuscan Archipelago
total islands =
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area = km2 to mi2|10|abbr=yes
highest mount =
elevation = m to f|29
country = Italy
country admin divisions title = Region
country admin divisions =Tuscany
country admin divisions title 1 = Province
country admin divisions 1 = Livorno
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population = (uninhabited)
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additional info =The small island of Pianosa (about km2 to mi2|10|abbr=yes in area) forms part of
Italy 'sTuscan Archipelago . Its name expresses the idea of the Italian word "pianura" (plain): its highest point stands only about mtf|22 over sea-level. The ancient Romans knew the island as Planasia.Pianosa has no permanent residents. Italians know it for hosting a maximum-security prison (1858-1998) holding especially dangerous
Mafia criminals.The island became noted in history when the "
princeps "Augustus banished his grandson and ex-heirPostumus Agrippa there in AD6 or7 . Postumus remained there until his execution around the time of the death of Augustus in14 .For administrative purposes, Pianosa forms part of the
Elba island municipality. On clear days, Elbans can see Pianosa as a dark blue line over the lighter blue sea.The
novel "Catch-22 " envisages a U.S. Army Air Corps bomber squadron based on the island duringWorld War II , though authorJoseph Heller conceded that he took some literary license in making Pianosa big enough for a major military complex. Heller's Pianosa also houses a small community of Italian villagers, unlike the real island.Another, even smaller, island called "Pianosa" lies off the
Adriatic coast of Italy, due north ofMonte Gargano .External links
* [http://www.emmeti.it/Welcome/Toscana/Isole/Pianosa/index.uk.html Tourist information]
References
This article incorporates material translated from the [http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagina_principale Italian Wikipedia]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
