The Black Pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea hides a history of bones and exile

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Known today as a serene Mediterranean destination for scuba divers, the volcanic island of Ustica holds a dark past. From its ancient name meaning Bone Island to its role as a remote prison for political dissidents and the site of a tragic 1980 plane crash, its history is deeply complex.

Located 52 kilometres north of Capo Gallo, Italy, Ustica is a small volcanic island defined by its stark, dark rocks, which earned it the local nickname the black pearl. Archaeological evidence reveals that the island has been inhabited since at least 1500 BC. Excavations at the site of Faraglioni have uncovered a sophisticated Bronze Age settlement dating between 1400 and 1200 BC, featuring organized urban planning and massive defensive walls that remain among the strongest fortifications of their kind in Italy.

The island’s grim reputation began in antiquity when it was called Osteodes, or Bone Island. During conflicts between Carthage and Syracuse, Carthaginian commanders abandoned about 6,000 rebellious mercenaries on the island to starve, leaving their remains to cover the landscape. Centuries later, the Romans renamed it Ustica, meaning burnt, for its volcanic terrain. Throughout the Middle Ages, the island struggled to maintain a permanent population due to frequent raids by Barbary pirates, and it was not until the mid-18th century that a stable community from Lipari successfully settled there.

In the modern era, Ustica served as a site of confinement. During the Fascist regime, thousands of political opponents, including figures like Antonio Gramsci and Amadeo Bordiga, were exiled there. The island’s isolation also made it a prison for Yugoslav war prisoners in the 1940s and suspected Mafiosi in the 1950s. The island is also remembered for the 1980 Ustica massacre, when Itavia Flight 870 crashed into the sea, resulting in the loss of all 81 people on board. Today, the island is home to 1,323 inhabitants and remains a popular destination for divers drawn to its deep volcanic grottoes.

The island's geography is characterized by limited water and scarce vegetation, contributing to its unique Mediterranean climate. While it once saw mass emigration to the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the island maintains a distinct cultural identity, including its status as a habitat for the honeybee Apis mellifera sicula.

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