History of the Island of Elba

When we think of Elba, we immediately think of the fantastic sea surrounding it, the green of the Mediterranean scrub that envelops it, its stunning beaches with the countless coves that make it unique, and naturally, also of Napoleon, despite having only lived on the island for less than a year.

But the history of this island is not limited to the ten months of the French Emperor and stretches far back: all the way to the Middle and Upper Paleolithic, as evidenced by the remains found in the Marciana Archaeological Museum, along with materials from the Eneolithic burial site of San Giuseppe and from the Sub-Appennine villages of the Marciana mountain, as explained by Dr. Umberto Gentini, former Director of the Tuscan Archipelago Tourism Promotion Agency.

"History has made the Island of Elba the stage for great events: no Mediterranean civilization has failed to leave significant traces of its passage. Nature, art, and millennia-old culture, enclosed in a microcosm of 224 km², create a unique atmosphere, evoking extraordinary scenes, the result of encounters between different peoples."

According to mythological accounts, it is at Porto Argon, today's Capo Bianco, that Jason stopped during the adventurous quest for the Golden Fleece and, as Virgil reveals in the Aeneid, from the same port, three hundred young Elbans set sail to help "Pious Aeneas" in his fierce battle against the Rutuli. For the Etruscans, Elba was an inexhaustible source of wealth: as early as the 8th century BC, they exploited the mines and exported iron across the Mediterranean basin, making enormous riches.

Thus, furnaces were built, which day and night melted minerals with bright flames, and as Aristotle narrates, they gave the name Aethalia, spark, to Elba, attributed by Greek sailors. From the five centuries of Etruscan domination, several necropolises, some furnace remains, and numerous "hilltop villages" remain, set in inimitable scenic backdrops.

From the decline of Etruscan power, the Romans inherited the steel industry but also valued the granite deposits and discovered the healing muds of the San Giovanni Baths, the beauty of the landscape, and the excellent wines.

"The island of good wine," said Pliny the Elder. Thus, an intense traffic of ships loaded with amphorae flourished: many are preserved in the Portoferraio Archaeological Museum and Marciana Museum, and, together with surprising finds recovered from the sea, they tell the entire history of ancient navigation. In the most picturesque gulfs, grandiose patrician villas of Linguella, the Grotte, and Capo Castello were built, places of joy then as now.

In the Middle Ages, the Maritime Republic of Pisa exploited the iron mines and granite from Elba: most of the columns that adorn Piazza dei Miracoli were shaped by the skilled stonemasons of San Piero. From the Pisan period, numerous testimonies remain: the refined Romanesque churches and the San Giovanni in Campo tower, built on a massive granite boulder, but above all the mighty "Fortress" of Marciana and the Volterraio Manor, sentinels of the mountains and seas.

In 1548, it was the turn of the Medici: Cosimo I built the fortified city of Portoferraio, a true jewel of military urbanism. The harmony between the sea, land, and architectural works was so perfect that the new city was called Cosmopoli, "the cradle of civilization and culture, an example of balance and rationality."

Shortly after, the Spaniards settled in Porto Azzurro and built the imposing Forte San Giacomo, which now hosts the House of Punishment, but also several chapels and the picturesque Sanctuary of Monserrato, nestled on a dark "dolomitic" mountain.

In the 18th century, Elba was contested by Austrians, Germans, English, and French, with frantic diplomatic negotiations or fierce battles, until it was assigned in "full ownership and sovereignty" to Napoleon Bonaparte, who, in his ten months of rule, left significant footprints: he built roads, reorganized the mining economy, and increased the production and export of wine.

From an ancient desecrated church, he created a charming theater, which, restored to its former splendor through expert restoration, is now the venue for important cultural events.

Upon his return to France for the fateful Hundred Days, Napoleon left two residences, now National Museums and visited every year by thousands of visitors: Villa San Martino and Villa dei Mulini.

And the magic continues. A favored subject of the great Macchiaioli painters, Elba hosts Italian and foreign artists who gather in discreet circles, with open gates for endless memory festivals.