Santo Janni island | Maratea
The Isle of Garum
Little more than a tiny island, just off the southern coast of Maratea, Santojanni features archaeological remains of a facility for the production and preservation of "garum" or, according to other scholars, for the preservation of tuna.
In both cases, the next stop for these foods was the tables of Romans in the City.
More evident are the ruins of a late-medieval religious building, likely dedicated to the worship of Saint John (Santo Janni).
The legend says that here the Armenian faithful landed with the relics of Saint Blaise.
Here are also signs of ancient maritime and commercial activities.
Near Santojanni Island, notable are the finds of amphorae and anchors from the Roman era, sign of the frequent visits of merchant ships of the time.
The rocks of the "Matrella" connect ideally the island to the coast, in one of the most spectacular points of the entire coastline.
Popular belief held that the islet was overrun with wild rabbits but today the only animal that survives - besides some birds like seagulls - is the rare Santo Janni Dragon, or the Podarcis sicula paulae, a lizard with a characteristic blue belly.
It is a local endemic very similar to the Faraglioni Lizards or other similar reptiles that populate the habitats of islets or rocks in constant contact with sea spray.
SANTOJANNI ISLAND
A fantastic area
This area is home to some of the most beautiful beaches, including Macarro, Cala Vecchia, Illicini, Cala Jannita, also known as Spiaggia Nera (Black Beach), Vranne and Funnicu Regiu, as well as the caves of Sciabella and San Giorgio.
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