Church of San Niccolò

The Church of San Niccolò is located at the top of the streets in the small village of Poggio. It is built directly on the rock and, like other fortified churches on the Island of Elba, it was originally designed for defensive purposes.

Probably built in the 12th century, its Greek cross layout is characterized by the dual function it served over time, making it a rare example of the union between religious and military architecture.

The church was certainly built before the two bastions that rise on either side of the facade (dating back to the 16th century), along with other defensive structures built in Poggio during the period of pirate raids.

Externally, the church has a very simple appearance, despite the grand staircase leading to the entrance; inside, however, it features the lavish characteristics of Baroque style and houses numerous paintings, statues, and various furnishings, as well as an organ from 1854 by Michelangelo Poli.

In the two side chapels, you will find magnificent 19th-century paintings: in the Chapel of the Annunciation, there is a canvas by Antonio Rossi from 1883 titled "The Annunciation," while on the left, in the Chapel of the Rosary, there is an artwork depicting "The Virgin Mary between Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Catherine of Siena."

Even more interesting is the painting of Saint Roch by Giacomo Mellini, a prominent figure in the history of the Island of Elba: a corsair of the French Republic, engineer, cartographer, painter, soldier, and expert in and director of the mines. He attended military school in France and, after joining the Revolution, distinguished himself in the defense of Bastia against the English. In fact, it was in Bastia, inside the Cathedral of Saint Jean, that Mellini painted a beautiful altarpiece while leading the city's defense.

Mellini is also known for his interest in the history and archaeology of Elba, and he is credited with the discovery of about one hundred objects recovered near Capoliveri, which are now displayed in the Archaeological Museum of Portoferraio.