Tavolara island

It is located near to Olbia and in front of Porto San Paolo[?]. It contains very few houses and a particular small cemetery, a summer restaurant and a military restricted area (a NATO submarines harbour).

It was one of the smallest kingdoms on the planet (now completely unrecognised diplomatically - only UK still considers it as such - and treated as part of Italy's democratic republic, although never formally annexed).

Its kings belonged to the Bertoleoni family, recognized as kings of Tavolara by the kings of Savoy (beginning with Carlo Alberto of Savoy, who visited Tavolara).

The royal tomb of the king of Tavolara is in the graveyard on the island, surmounted by a crown. The kingdom never renounced its sovereignty, but it was disregarded by Italy when the NATO base displaced most of the population.

The present king Carlo II of Tavolara is an Italian citizen, and what remains of the kingdom is represented in its external dealings by Prince Ernesto Geremia di Tavolara, of La Spezia, Italy.

The arms of the Kingdom display a walrus sitting on a rock. The flag was a gold six-pointed star on a red background.

See also: Extinct_countries,_empires,_etc., Micronation

The island and the surrounding waters have recently been included in an environmental protection plan (marine Park of Tavolara). This plan caused relevant discussions for its severe restrictions to the ordinary use of interested areas, which were intensely frequented for tourism.

Its waters were an important site for Scuba diving.

Other smaller islands nearby: Molara[?], Molarotto[?].

In the 18th Century, the sheep of Tavolara were rumored to have gold teeth.