Il Gigante is the ruin of a colossal 14-metre Neptune carved into the rock at the headland between the old and new towns. The statue was damaged in a storm in 1910 and its arms were blown off by Allied bombing in 1944, leaving just the massive torso and legs clinging to the cliff. It's a strange and evocative sight — a giant reduced to a stump, still trying to hold up the pergola above a private villa.
The headland it stands on belongs to a private property, so the closest view is from the beach below or from the sea. The best angle is from the water — ferry passengers and kayakers often get a cleaner look than anyone approaching by land. It's easy to walk past without noticing it; once you've seen it, you can't unsee it.