Montecristo

This article is about the island. For other uses, see Monte Cristo (disambiguation).

Monte Cristo

The islet seen from a boat
Geography
Location	Tyrrhenian Sea
Archipelago	Tuscan Archipelago
Area	13 km2 (5 sq mi)
Highest elevation	645 m (2,116 ft)
Highest point	Fortezza
Country
Italy
Region	Tuscany
Province	Livorno
Demographics
Population	uninhabited
Density	0 /km2 (0 /sq mi)

Montecristo is a small Italian islet, approximately 4.3 kilometers (2.3mi) across at its widest point, located about halfway between Corsica and mainland Italy; south of Elba and west of Giglio. It is part of the Tuscan Archipelago. The islet is the tip of a volcano.^[1]

The island is probably best known as a fictional setting in the novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, but the actual island does not correspond closely to the description in the novel.

Monte Cristo is Italian for "The mountain of Christ", which has led some^[who?] to believe it is the reason Dumas picked it for the book.^{[citation needed]}

The island is remote and kept by the Italian government as a nature preserve park, and is only accessible by private yacht and permit. It was formerly the site of a prominent monastery, San Mamiliano, whose ruins remain visible.

As of 2008, there are plans for opening the island to limited tourist traffic.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• List of volcanoes in Italy

References

1. ^ http://www.volcanolive.com/montecristo.html

Coordinates: 42°20′N 10°19′E / 42.333°N 10.317°E / 42.333; 10.317