Le Porte: a particular trail to discover the prehistory of Giglio Island

This route, as several of the trails of Giglio Island, begins in Giglio Castello. You need to walk towards south until you reach Poggio della Pagana, the highest peak on the island. Le Porte locality is near. Where you can discover the prehistory of Giglio Island.

Be careful because the area is invaded by brambles and weeds. In the parts where you can walk, you will notice some strange rocks that, for decades, were studied by historians. In these rocks, there are the so-called coppelle (literally “little cups”): they are circular cavities used by Neolithic women to grind grain with a sort of granite pestle.

Maybe, some of them are natural formations. But, in other cases, they were created by prehistoric men. Some of them are very large and equipped with gutters. On other stones, coppelle are joined and form a sort of path.

In addition to the practical function, it’s clear that coppelle should have a sacred function. Because they were built on vertical walls, so completely unsuitable for any type of work, such as grinding grain or collect dew water. We must say that the cup is a very sacred symbol: the circle.

The charm of coppelle of Giglio Island is undisputed. And some of them are so worn to suggest that the island could be inhabited even before Neolithic Age. How remote is the prehistory of Giglio Island?

Image source: Flickr.com/photos/gioanola