These small pieces of land located an hour's sailing from Bonifacio or Sardinia, in the heart of the current nature reserve of the Bouches de Bonifacio , form the Lavezzi archipelago, a true paradise for tourists. It is composed of two main islands (Lavezzu 0.64 km² and Cavallo 1.1 km²), 34 islets and numerous reefs which make it a particularly dangerous place for sailors. Access is only by sea.
The very wild Lavezzu Island is home to a superb granite chaos. Formerly inhabited only by shepherds who watched over their herds of cows, goats and sheep and a few donkeys, it is today a very popular place for tourists for the beauty of its seabed and for its natural heritage rich in many rare and endemic species.
Cavallo Island is nicknamed the billionaires' island because of its many stars and celebrities have a villa there. : It is one of the most secret jewels of the Mediterranean. From Jean Castel to Bill Gates, via Victor-Emmanuel of Savoy or the Princess of Monaco, its history has been a true romantic journey for 50 years.
History
Human traces dating back to prehistoric times have been discovered at this site, including several rock shelters dating back to the Neolithic period. Remains of a Roman port and a 7th-century chapel have also been found.
In 1855, the archipelago was the scene of the sinking of the frigate La Sémillante . It was one of the heaviest disasters in human losses in the history of the French Navy. When the frigate left the port of Toulon on February 14, 1855, there were 380 sailors and 393 soldiers on board, bound for the Crimean War.
It was near the Straits of Bonifacio that the warship was caught in a violent storm. Broken on a reef, it sank during the night of February 15-16.
The entire crew, as well as all the infantrymen, perished in this tragedy.
Only 560 bodies were brought back to the coast by the currents. The deceased rest in the two cemeteries of the island, Acharino in the west and Furcone in the east.
An altar is also dedicated to them.
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