With its 10.2 km², Pianosa is the fifth-largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It lies 14 km southwest of Elba, about 27 km southeast of Montecristo, and about 40 km east of Corsica.
Inhabited since prehistoric times, the island preserves evidence from the Neolithic, Copper and Bronze Ages. In Roman times, it hosted seaside villas and, during the Imperial period, became the place of exile of Postumius Agrippa, grandson of Augustus.
From the 3rd and 4th centuries AD, Pianosa features an important Christian catacomb near the small village. The Pisans built a settlement here, which was later destroyed in the 16th century during Turkish raids. After a short-lived attempt at agricultural colonization in the early 1800s, Pianosa became, from Italian Unification until 1998, home to a major agricultural penal colony and later a maximum-security prison, which occupied the entire island.
The territory was divided into two distinct areas, separated by a large reinforced concrete wall: the prison zone—with agricultural fields cultivated by inmates—and the small village inhabited by prison staff and service workers. After the prison’s closure, Pianosa remained almost uninhabited and only reopened to guided visits in 1999.
- On land: 100% of the territory is protected within the Park boundaries, including the islets of La Scarpa and La Scola. Scola.
- At sea: 100% of the waters are protected up to one nautical mile from the coast (Zone 1). Diving is allowed only with authorized operators accessing the buoy field.
Tourist and nature access to the Island of Pianosa is limited to 450 daily visitors, of which 355 are reserved for tourists transported via the Marina di Campo–Pianosa ferry service, 40 for Albergo Milena, 40 for the Penitentiary Administration, 10 for the Pianosa Friends Association, and 5 for the Diocese of Massa Marittima.
On Tuesdays, in coincidence with the Toremar ferry, the capped number may be exceeded by up to 200 additional visitors beyond the standard 450.
For information about visits, you can contact the Park House on Pianosa Island, located near the dock. It is the starting point for scheduled excursions with Park Guides and also hosts a bookshop with information materials, gadgets and publications on the islands of the Archipelago.
Access to the former village, the Baths of Agrippa, and Cala Giovanna beach is free.
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