The Tyrrhenian Sea is the part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy, named for the Tyrrhenian people identified with the Etruscans, who settled along the coast of modern Tuscany. They used to refer to the sea as the “Sea of the Etruscans”. The sea is bounded by the islands of Corsica (France) and Sardinia (Italy) to the west; the Italian peninsula (specifically, the regions of Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata, and Calabria) to the north and east; and the island of Sicily (Italy) to the south and includes a number of smaller islands, all belonging to Italy, such as Capri, Elba, Ischia, and Ustica.
The 8 Aeolian Islands are also located in the southern part of the sea, just north of Sicily. The name derives from the Greek name for the Etruscans, who were said to have emigrated from Lydia, led by the prince Tyrrhenus. In Greek mythology, it is believed that the cliffs above the Sea housed the four winds kept by Aeolus, namely: the Mistral from the Rhône Valley, the Libeccio from the southwest, and the Sirocco and Ostro from the south.
Since the sea is situated near where the African and Eurasian Plates meet, mountain chains and active volcanoes, such as Mount Marsili, are found under its depths. In Italy, the main ports are: Naples, Palermo, Civitavecchia (near Rome), Salerno, Trapani, and Gioia Tauro, while in Corsica (France), the most important port is Bastia.
- Cruised: 2016 (Civitavecchia, Naples)
Traces of Places 