An endless horizon, golden beaches caressed by clear sea waters, picturesque cliffs buried in dense greenery ... This is Elba. The island, located in the Tuscan archipelago, in the north is washed by the Ligurian Sea, in the south - by the Tyrrhenian Sea. On the east coast is the Piombino Canal, and the Corsican Canal separates it west of Corsica.
Probably Napoleon, once exiled here, could consider himself lucky. Today, everyone would agree to such an exile. More than a million tourists come every year to plunge into the warm sea waters, wander among the colorful landscapes, be fascinated by the ancient history of the island of Elba. Reviews of people vacationing in this attractive corner are the most enthusiastic. The climate here is almost universally Mediterranean, with the exception of the region of Mount Kapanne, where there are usually cool winters.
Many Mediterranean civilizations have left their cultural marks. For the Etruscans, he was an inexhaustible source of wealth. Already in the eighth century BC , iron ore was mined here , processed in furnaces that worked day and night, and iron was exported around the entire Mediterranean basin. The Romans inherited the steel industry, still began the extraction of granite, discovered a variety of landscapes and therapeutic mud, building the baths of San Giovanni.
History decreed that the island of Elba more than once became the scene of important events. He was one of the centers of winemaking in the
Roman Empire. Pliny the Elder called it "the island of fine wine." Vessels loaded with amphora with wonderful wines transported them to different parts of the vast Roman Empire. Many amphorae can be seen in the archaeological museums of the cities of Portoferraio and Marchiana, as well as other amazing finds telling the history of ancient shipping. In charming places on the shores of the bays, splendid patrician villas Lingwell, Grotto, Capo Castello grew up, the ruins of which still make an indelible impression.
In the Middle Ages, the island of Elba belonged to the Leaning Republic of Pisa. The extraction of iron ore and granite did not stop at that time. Many columns made by skilled masons from granite quarried on the island adorned the Piazza de Miracoli in Pisa. The culture of the leaning period is represented by some beautiful examples of architecture: the graceful Romanesque churches and the tower of St. Giovanni in Compo, built on a huge granite boulder, but first of all, it is a powerful “fortezza” in Marchiana, the Voltarraio fortress in Portoferraio, built during the Etruscans and reconstructed into the leaning houses of Pisa time.
In 1548, the island of Elba passed to the Medici. Cosimo I built the fortified city of Portoferraio - the true pearl of military urban development. There was such perfect harmony between the sea, land and architectural structures that it was originally called Cosmopolis (Ecumenical City).
At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the Spaniards, who settled on the Tyrrhenian Sea in Porto Azzuro, built the impressive fort of San Giacomo, today solitary and proudly towering on a hill, various chapels, the Church of Our Lady of Montserrat on the Dolomite Mountain.
In the eighteenth century, the island was disputed by the Austrians, Germans, British and French through violent diplomatic negotiations and a fierce struggle. In 1802, he became a French possession. After the Fontainebleau Treaty of 1814, Napoleon forcibly resigned his imperial powers and was exiled to the island. During the months that he lived here, he carried out a series of economic and social reforms, significantly improving the lives of the islanders.
Today, the island of Elba is still famous all over the world for its excellent wines and is a favorite destination for tourists.