Sapienza

The islets that lie south and west of the coast of Messenia do not look great at first glance – and thus escape mass attention. But they hold their own surprises, with Sapienza being the most typical example among them.

Sapienza belongs to the so-called Messinian Oenousses and is located off the south western coast of Messenia, just opposite Methoni. The waters of the area are regarded as part of the Ionian Sea. The island covers an area of 9 square kilometres and, contrary to what most people might think, it is not uninhabited: until 1986, lighthouse keepers lived there, while the 2011 census recorded 2 permanent residents. It is estimated, however, that no one lives there anymore.

The name Sapienza is of Italian origin and means “wisdom”. This takes us back to 1209, when it came under Venetian rule, who we know used the island as an anchorage for their fleet. In later years it became part of Greece, after the successful outcome of the 1821 Greek War of Independence.

The rich marine world of Sapienza

Sapienza is located on a sea route that since ancient times has been of great commercial and strategic interest, connecting Italy with the Middle East. At the same time, however, it was also a difficult area, full of strong currents, strong winds and difficult rocks. As a result, there have been several shipwrecks on the coast and off the island, some of which are considered important from an archaeological point of view.