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From the Argonauts to Barbarossa the pirate

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  1. Island of Elba
  2. Discovering Elba
  3. History of Elba
  4. From the Argonauts to Barbarossa

Situated in the centre of important sea courses, Elba has always been fought over

] Diodoro Siculo says of Elba after the Argonauts had taken over the Golden Fleece, they sailed the Tirreno Sea and reached an island called Aethalia where they set up an excellent port for their ships and called it Argon, after the name of their ship . Even one of the verses of the Aeneid is dedicated to our island, telling of three hundred expert warriors who took part in the Trojan War, using weapons that had been forged with the iron from the mines in Elba.

From the Bronze Age onwards, because of the richness of its subsoil, the island had been fought over century after century, as far back as its first inhabitants, from Liguria, then by the Etruscans, and during the Iron Age even by the Greek (VI cent. BC) who gave it the name of Aithalia, meaning sooty, because of its forges that burned night and day.

The Etruscan dominion lasted many years and left many archeological finds behind. From 450 BC it was taken over by the Romans, who changed its name to Ilva, from the Ilvates people from Liguria. As well as the iron mines, the Romans exploited the marble and granite quarries on the western side of the island. The remains of the Roman villa in Le Grotte, built between the I cent. BC and the I cent. AD, opposite the harbour in Portoferraio, are particularly significant.

[img index="0" params="format=m&class=image-c][/img]Situated in the centre of important sea courses, and also thanks to its sheltering coasts, Elba has always been fought over, looted and destroyed by hordes of pirates. Elba appears for the first time in Pope Gregorio Magno's "Dialogues", where, so it says, Saint Cerbone, Bishop of Populonia, was exiled in Elba by the Longobards; there is an oratory called after him near Marciana.

Then the Dukes of Longobard took over the island until the end of the Longobard power. In the IX, X centuries, when Sicily was more or less completely in the hands of the Arabs, and Sardinia and Corsica were used as strategic bases for the Muslim sea dominion, almost all the Tirreno coast became uninhabited. Pisa, constantly under Muslim pirate invasions, developped its own naval skills and ended up one of the most important coastal defence cities in Tuscany.

In the beginning of the X century, after their victory over cruel Mughehid, the Pisans had important fortresses and watchtowers built overlooking the sea: in Palmaiola, in Capraia, in Gorgona and also inSan Giovanni in Campo. They also had majestic castles built, like the impregnable Volterraio Castle, or the Fort Luceri on Colle Reciso, possibly built on top of previous Roman or even Etruscan fortresses.

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Further reading

Archaeology Museum in MarcianaLinguella Museum of ArchaeologyRio Elba Civic Archaeology MuseumRoman villa in Le GrotteRoman villa in LinguellaRoman Villa of Capo CastelloChurch of San GiovanniChurch of San MicheleChurch of San LorenzoChurch of Santo Stefano alle TraneTower of San GiovanniVolterraio CastleFortress in Marciana

Accommodation on the Island of Elba

Apartaments 206 Small villas and detached houses 15 Bed & breakfast 16 Hotels 78 Villas 7 Residences 43 Farm holiday centres 13 Campsites 18 Farm holiday campsites 1 Travel agencies 11 Estate agencies 1
  • Get to Elba
  • How to get there
  • Ferries
  • Getting about on the island
  • Hire
  • Stay
  • Hotels
  • Residences
  • Bed & Breakfasts
  • Apartments
  • Small villas and detached houses
  • Villas
  • Farm holiday centres
  • Campsites
  • Camper and caravan
  • Farm holiday campsites
  • Luxury accommodation
  • Tourist agencies and realtors
  • Eat
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  • Food & Wine Experience
  • Local recipes
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  • Typical dishes
  • Useful information
  • ElbaOK Insurance
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  • Visit Elba
  • Beaches and coasts
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  • Tuscan Archipelago National Park
  • Guided excursions
  • Useful advice
  • Maps of the Island of Elba
  • I am...
  • Recommended itineraries
  • Sports and free time
  • Water sports
  • Land sports
  • Elba not to be missed
  • Outdoor sports
  • Enjoyment and relaxation
  • Courses and study trips
  • Shopping
  • Special events and exhibitions
  • Discovering Elba
  • How many beaches are there in Elba?
  • Paths and tracksin Elba
  • Elba in winter
  • Interesting facts
  • History of Elba
  • Geology of Elba
  • Towns of Elba
  • Media Gallery
  • Webcams

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