1. Island of Elba
  2. The Island of Elba
  3. Places to see
  4. Churches and sanctuaries

There are numerous places of worship, parish churches, churches and ancient hermitages in Elba

Just like any other island, the survival of the locals in Elba, consisting mainly of farmers, fishermen and sailors, in the past depended entirely on the forces of nature: the land, the sea and the weather.

The reason why there are so many places of worship all over the island lies in the fact that the people were very devout believers in the divine protectors of their harvests, their fishing, their land and their sea.

Christianity changed these pagan places into sanctuaries and parish churches, mostly in honour of the Virgin Mary (who was often in place of Ceres, goddess of the land and fertility), or of any Saints whose characteristics in some way were similar to those of the pagan Gods.

With the fall of the Roman Empire, groups of monks and hermits sought refuge in the most isolated places, often grottos or small parish churches that they then turned into hermitages that today may seem very humble but are without a doubt very suggestive.

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Church of San Niccolò in Poggio

A clear example of an ancient fortified church built right on the rocks to be used as defense.

Church of San Mamiliano

The Church consacrated to the worship of San Mamiliano, who escaped from persecution and imprisonment to the Island of Montecristo where he lived as a hermit

Church of San Niccolò

The ancient Church built on the remains of a pagan temple that later became the name of the village of San Piero.

Misericordia Church

The Misericordia Church was built in 1677, and here you can see the relics of Saint Cristino, martyr patron saint of Portoferraio.

Dome of Portoferraio

The Dome in Portoferraio was consecrated in 1554 and dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Madonna del Monte Sanctuary

The Madonna del Monte Sanctuary in Marciana has frescos of the 16th century possibly about Sodom

Madonna della Neve

Sanctuary dating back to the Romanesque-Pisan period, at the top of a small hill in Lacona

The Church of Sant'Ilario

The hamlet of Sant'Ilario in the commune of Campo nell'Elba bears the same name as the Church, that is inside the walls of the ancient Pisan fortifications.

Madonna delle Grazie

Inside the Church there is the painting of the Madonna del Silenzio done by Marcello Venusti, one of Michelangelo's students

Monserrato Sanctuary

Restored and open to the public, this sanctuary was famous in the XVll and XVlll centuries, when it became a pilgrims' destination.

Church of San Giovanni

The largest Romanesque Parish Church in Elba, above Marina di Campo

Santa Caterina Hermitage

The Santa Caterina Hermitage, once a place for pilgrimages and miraculous appearances, today is an lively centre for artistic and scientific creation.

Church of San Michele

From an architectural point of view, one of Elba's most beautiful Romanesque churches: built in the XII century in the valley below the town of Capoliveri-

Church of Santo Stefano alle Trane

The only Romanesque Church on the Island of Elba open for worship and religious cerimonies, sitting on the hills overlooking the gulf of Portoferraio.

Church of San Lorenzo

A church in typical Romanesque style that has many stylistic and structural similarities with the parish church of San Giovanni in Marina di Campo.

Map of churches and sancturies on the Island of Elba

Legend of points of interest

Churches and sancturies

Groups di points of interest: zoom in to see them (the icon may vary in colour and size).

15 places to visit that can be seen on the map.
The map has already been laid out at a zoom level that enables you to see all the points of interest.