Zannone: Italy’s forbidden ‘orgy island’

By Silvia Marchetti, CNN
5 minute read
Updated 6:44 AM EDT, Tue July 30, 2019
<strong>The forbidden atoll: </strong>With a dark past of sex and murder, Zannone is the wildest atoll of Rome's Pontine archipelago. The isle is the location of Marquis Casati Stampa's former vacation retreat.
The forbidden atoll: With a dark past of sex and murder, Zannone is the wildest atoll of Rome's Pontine archipelago. The isle is the location of Marquis Casati Stampa's former vacation retreat.
courtesy Parco Circeo-Marco Buonocore
<strong>Zannone: </strong>The island's notoriety began when a chic but sexually adventurous aristocratic couple rented the isle from the state during the 1960s.
Zannone: The island's notoriety began when a chic but sexually adventurous aristocratic couple rented the isle from the state during the 1960s.
courtesy Parco Circeo-Marco Buonocore
<strong>'Sex parties isle': </strong>The colonial villa was where Marquis Casati Stampa's lavish sex parties took place. Residents living nearby say the debauched get-togethers were an open secret.
'Sex parties isle': The colonial villa was where Marquis Casati Stampa's lavish sex parties took place. Residents living nearby say the debauched get-togethers were an open secret.
courtesy Corpo Forestale Stato
<strong>Murdered actress:</strong> Anna Fallarino, the wife of the Marquis Casati Stampa, was murdered by her husband on Zannone.
Murdered actress: Anna Fallarino, the wife of the Marquis Casati Stampa, was murdered by her husband on Zannone.
Pier Mario Fasanotti, "Kriminal Tango"
<strong>The marquis: </strong>"He was a lewd man, a voyeur who liked to watch and photograph his starlet wife get kinky having sex with with other younger guys," says Giorgio Aniello, who runs boat tours to Zannone.
The marquis: "He was a lewd man, a voyeur who liked to watch and photograph his starlet wife get kinky having sex with with other younger guys," says Giorgio Aniello, who runs boat tours to Zannone.
courtesy Turist casa Cristina de Paoli
<strong>Spies in the house of love: </strong>Rumor has it the villa also featured a "hidden mirror room" to spy on sex sessions.
Spies in the house of love: Rumor has it the villa also featured a "hidden mirror room" to spy on sex sessions.
courtesy Valerie Romano
<strong>Wild parties: </strong>Yachts and motorboats would land at weekends bringing dukes, barons, countesses VIPs and billionaires. "The villa was a hot jet-society get-together," recalls former caretaker Salvatore Pagano.
Wild parties: Yachts and motorboats would land at weekends bringing dukes, barons, countesses VIPs and billionaires. "The villa was a hot jet-society get-together," recalls former caretaker Salvatore Pagano.
courtesy Valerie Romano
<strong>Peaceful and isolated today: </strong>Today, there's nothing on Zannone but the abandoned villa and a lighthouse.
Peaceful and isolated today: Today, there's nothing on Zannone but the abandoned villa and a lighthouse.
courtesy Parco Circeo-Marco Buonocore
<strong>Lush island: </strong>The 102-hectare Zannone is part of the Circeo National Park. Visitors don't need a permit, but only biologists, scientists and bird watchers are allowed to camp the night.
Lush island: The 102-hectare Zannone is part of the Circeo National Park. Visitors don't need a permit, but only biologists, scientists and bird watchers are allowed to camp the night.
courtesy Ponza Racconta
<strong>Entering Zannone: </strong>For visitors, it's a short swim between the boat and the private pebble beach once used by Anna Fallarino.
Entering Zannone: For visitors, it's a short swim between the boat and the private pebble beach once used by Anna Fallarino.
Silvia Marchetti/CNN
<strong>Entrance to villa: </strong>The hike to the marquis's house is tough. The villa, built within the grounds of a medieval monastery, sits on Zannone's highest peak.
Entrance to villa: The hike to the marquis's house is tough. The villa, built within the grounds of a medieval monastery, sits on Zannone's highest peak.
courtesy Corpo Forestale Stato
<strong>Rugged coast: </strong>The island, surrounded by emerald-green waters, is a maze of reddish-yellow cliffs, old stone fisheries and crooked sea stacks.
Rugged coast: The island, surrounded by emerald-green waters, is a maze of reddish-yellow cliffs, old stone fisheries and crooked sea stacks.
courtesy Corpo Forestale Stato
<strong>Sole inhabitants: </strong>Introduced to the island by Italian aristocracy to make hunting more fun, mouflons -- wild sheep with big curly horns -- are now Zannone's only permanent inhabitants.
Sole inhabitants: Introduced to the island by Italian aristocracy to make hunting more fun, mouflons -- wild sheep with big curly horns -- are now Zannone's only permanent inhabitants.
courtesy IAT Latina
<strong>Alternative tourist attraction: </strong>After the tragedy, the mansion was shut and the isle was returned to the state. Now visitors come to explore the "forbidden atoll" and its dark history.
Alternative tourist attraction: After the tragedy, the mansion was shut and the isle was returned to the state. Now visitors come to explore the "forbidden atoll" and its dark history.
courtesy IAT Latina
Zannone: Italy's 'orgy island'
CNN  — 

With emerald-green waters, blue skies and and a rugged empty landscape, Zannone has everything you’d expect from a near-deserted Italian island destination. It also has a reputation for something rather more unexpected:

Orgies.

“See that white colonial villa up high there?” says former fisherman Giorgio Aniello as he points a rough finger at a clifftop villa overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. “That’s where the Marquis Casati Stampa held lavish sex parties.”

Aniello is a regular visitor to Zannone, taking tourists on boat trips to the wildest atoll among the Pontine archipelago off the west coast of Italy. The big attraction, aside from the island’s natural beauty, is its dark, sexy past, most of which centers around the Marquis and his wife, Anna Fallarino, a former actress.

“He was a lewd man, a voyeur who liked to watch and photograph his starlet wife get kinky having sex with with other younger guys,” Aniello adds, enjoying spinning R-rated tales as he navigates a maze of reddish-yellow cliffs, old stone fisheries and sea stacks.

“Then one day he got fed up of the threesome, shot the two lovers and killed himself.”

Skinny-dipping

The Roman pool where Anna Fallarino enjoyed swimming nude.
The Roman pool where Anna Fallarino enjoyed swimming nude.
courtesy Corpo Forestale Stato