Fort Focardo in Capoliveri

Military defence and place of artistic inspiration

Where	Capoliveri – Capo Focardo
How to get there	To reach Forte Focardo from Capoliveri, follow the signs for Capo Perla (the turn-off is on the road to Straccoligno). Just before reaching the end of Via Capo Perla, take the small unmarked road on the left. The path is only walkable as it becomes narrow and unpaved after a few meters; from here, you can also reach the beach of Capo Perla.
Info	As it is owned by the military navy, the interior of the building is not open to visitors.

Forte Focardo stands on a cliff, overlooking the sea, on the eastern coast of the Capoliveri promontory, between Naregno Beach and Capo Perla.

The fort was founded in 1678 during the Spanish domination of the island and was named after the person who ordered its construction, Don Ferdinando Gioachino Foscardo di Roquentes e Zuniga, who was at the time the Governor of Longone and the general captain of the Kingdom of Naples.

Its construction aimed to form, together with Forte di San Giacomo, a better blockade system in case of threats from the sea.

Between the 18th and 19th centuries, the fortress suffered numerous attacks, both external, from the imperial army during the wars of Spanish succession and by the French, and internal, when a group of Capoliveri residents organized an anti-French protest by attacking and looting the building.

In 1848, the lighthouse was built, later classified as a fourth-category lighthouse, meaning it was used for marking beach formations and indicating the position of boats, port entries, and potential nearby dangers.

Curiosity: In the 1920s, the fort hosted one of Italy’s greatest writers, Raffaello Brignetti, who spent his youth here, following his father, who was the lighthouse keeper at the time. The island was a great source of inspiration for the artist, and his stay on Elba became part of his fond memories.

Although the fort is not open to visitors, from the outside, you can admire a truly stunning panorama offering views of the town of Porto Azzurro, with Forte San Giacomo above and the beautiful scenery of Cima del Monte in the background.

Infoelba recommends: From Capo Focardo, continuing under a pine forest that runs along the sea with charming views, you can reach the lovely small beach located under the fort and Naregno Beach.