Carloforte – The Beating Heart of Saint Peter’s Island

The offshore island of San Pietro is situated approximately 10 kilometres to the south-west of Sardinia. The islanders can look back on a long settlement history. In 1542, their ancestors coming  from communities on the Ligurian coast  were brought to the island Tabarca off the coast of Tunisia where they fished for corals up to the year 1735. In 1783, they accepted the offer of the king Carlo Emanuele III, the Duke of Savoy, to settle on an uninhabited island named San Pietro, since coral fishing wasn’t profitable any longer.  The settlers named their new home Caloforte (Charles the Strong) in honour of the king. Numerous religious celebrations take place on the island all year round. The most important one is the celebration in honour of the saint Madonna of the slaves on the last Sunday in November.

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