Tirreno

Tirreno is the Italian name for the Tyrrhenian Sea, a major part of the western Mediterranean. It lies between the west coast of Italy and the islands of Corsica and Sardinia, with the Italian mainland to the east and the Corsica–Sardinia block to the west. The Tyrrhenian Sea is bordered to the north by the Ligurian Sea and connects to the Ionian Sea to the southeast through the Strait of Messina. It touches several Italian regions, including Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Calabria, and parts of the peninsula around Naples and the Amalfi Coast. The name Tirreno derives from the ancient Tyrrhenians, an exonym for the Etruscans.

In contemporary usage, Tirreno also appears in the names of notable Italian topics. The Tirreno–Adriatico, often referred to simply as Tirreno, is a professional road cycling stage race held annually in March. The race runs across central Italy from the Tyrrhenian coast toward the Adriatic coast and is part of the UCI World Tour. Since its establishment in 1966, it has attracted many of cycling’s top riders and serves as an important early-season event for form and strategy.

Beyond geography and sport, Tirreno is used to describe coastal and maritime contexts related to the Tyrrhenian Sea, including ports, coastal towns, and tourism along Italy’s west coast. The term thus encompasses both a body of water and a cultural reference tied to Italy’s western maritime region.