Isole Tremiti

Isole Tremiti (Tremiti) is an archipelago of the Adriatic Sea, north of the Gargano Peninsula. It constitutes a comune of Italy's Province of Foggia, and forms part of the Gargano national park. The name of the islands is linked to their increased seismic hazard, with a history of earthquakes - the source word tremolanti is linked to tremors.

The islands were used for the internment of political prisoners during Benito Mussolini's Fascist regime. This was not exactly a novelty: two millennia earlier Augustus had sent his granddaughter Julia the Younger in exile to one of these islands. The islands are now an important tourist attraction - due to the clear waters surrounding them.

In 1911 about one thousand three hundred Libyans that opposed colonial Italian rule were confined to Tremiti. After one year about one third of these were dead mainly of typhus. In the fascist era, the archipelago continued to perform its function of confinement, detaining among others the future President of the Republic Sandro Pertini and Amerigo Dumini.

Mussolini had hundreds of homosexuals deported to San Domino. No law prohibited homosexuality at the time, and Mussolini also denied its existence, saying that "In Italy there are only real men." However suspected or reported homosexuals were rounded up and deported. The conditions on the island were very difficult. This crime has never been recognized by Italy.