Elba
Encyclopedia
Elba is a Mediterranean
island in Tuscany, Italy, 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) from the coastal town of Piombino
. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago
, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily
and Sardinia
. It is located in the Tyrrhenian Sea
, about 50 kilometre east of the French
island of Corsica
.
The island is divided into eight municipalities, of which Portoferraio is the main one, the others; Campo nell'Elba
, Capoliveri
, Marciana
, Marciana Marina
, Porto Azzurro
, Rio Marina
, and Rio nell'Elba
, are part of the province of Livorno
, with a total of about 30,000 inhabitants, which increases considerably during the summer.
The terrain is quite varied, and is thus divided into several areas based on geomorphology
. The mountainous and most recent part of the island can be found to the west, the centre of which is dominated by Mount Capanne
(1018 metres (3,340 ft)), also called the "roof of the Tuscan Archipelago". The mountain is home to many animal species including the mouflon
and wild boar, two species that flourish despite the continuous influx of tourists. The central part of the island is a mostly flat section with the width being reduced to just four kilometres. It is where the major centres can be found: Portoferraio, Campo nell'Elba. To the east is the oldest part of the island, formed over 400 million years ago. In the hilly area, dominated by Monte Calamita, are the deposits of iron that made Elba famous.
The largest rivers, sorted by length, are:
Between Poggio and Marciana, at the foot of Mount Capanne, is a natural spring called Fonte Napoleone, which is regarded for its quality.
The table below shows the average temperatures for the islands by month.
Ilvati who gave the ancient name Ilva, the island was well known from very ancient times for its iron
resources and its valued mines. The Greeks
called it Aethalia (fume) after the fumes of the furnaces for the metal production.
The island was then invaded, first by the Etruscans
and later (after 480 BC) by the Romans
. After the Roman period, the island was ravaged by barbarians and Saracens. In the early 11th century it became a possession of the Republic of Pisa
. When the latter was sold to the Visconti
of Milan in 1398, the island was acquired by the Appiani, Lords of Piombino
, who retained it for two centuries. In 1546 part of the island was handed over to Cosimo I de' Medici
, who fortified Portoferraio and renamed it "Cosmopoli", while in 1577 the rest of the island was returned to the Appiani. In 1596 Philip II of Spain
captured Porto Azzurro and had two fortresses built there. In 1802 the island became a French possession, and its economy flourished.
Following the Treaty of Fontainebleau
, French
emperor Napoleon I
was exiled to Elba after his forced abdication in 1814 and arrived at Portoferraio on May 3, 1814 to begin his exile there. He was allowed to keep a personal guard of six hundred men. Although he was nominally sovereign of Elba, the island was patrolled by the British Navy.
During the months Napoleon stayed on the island, he carried out a series of economic and social reforms to improve the quality of life, partly to pass the time and partly out of a genuine concern for the well-being of the islanders. Napoleon stayed on Elba for 300 days. He returned to France on February 26, 1815 for the Hundred Days
. After his defeat at Waterloo
he was subsequently exiled again, this time to the barren and isolated South Atlantic island of Saint Helena
. Napoleon's stay on Elba is the basis for the famous English language
palindrome
: "Able was I ere I saw Elba." Internationally, Elba is best known for its connection to Napoleon.
In the Congress of Vienna
the island was given to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany
. In 1860 it became part of the new unified Kingdom of Italy.
French troops landed on Elba on June 17, 1944, liberating the island from the Germans. Faulty intelligence and strong defences made the battle more difficult than expected.
More recently, the island has become famed for its wine
, and it is today a renowned tourist resort.
, Moby Lines
and Blunavy, all offering routes between Piombino and Portoferraio, the capital located in the north, Cavo, Rio Marina and Porto Azzurro, on the east coast of the island.
There is an airport on the island, Marina di Campo Airport
. It is served by Intersky
, with flights to Friedrichshafen
, Munich
and Zürich
, and ElbaFly
by internal flights.
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
island in Tuscany, Italy, 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) from the coastal town of Piombino
Piombino
Piombino is an Italian town and comune of circa 35,000 inhabitants in the province of Livorno . It lies on the border between the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea, in front of Elba Island and at the northern side of Maremma.-Overview:...
. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago
Tuscan Archipelago
The Tuscan Archipelago is a chain of islands between the Ligurian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea, west of Tuscany, Italy.The archipelago contains the islands of Gorgona, Capraia, Elba , Pianosa, Montecristo, Giglio, and Giannutri; all of which are protected as part of the Tuscan Archipelago National...
, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
. It is located in the Tyrrhenian Sea
Tyrrhenian Sea
The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.-Geography:The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria and Sicily ....
, about 50 kilometre east of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
island of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
.
The island is divided into eight municipalities, of which Portoferraio is the main one, the others; Campo nell'Elba
Campo nell'Elba
Campo nell'Elba is a comune on the island of Elba, in the Province of Livorno in the Italian region of Tuscany, located about 140 km southwest of Florence and about 90 km south of Livorno.-External links:* *...
, Capoliveri
Capoliveri
Capoliveri is a comune on the island of Elba in Italy. Administratively it is part of the Province of Livorno in the Tuscany region, located about 130 km southwest of Florence and about 90 km south of Livorno.-External links:* *...
, Marciana
Marciana
Marciana is a town and comune in the province of Livorno, Tuscany , located in the western Elba Island....
, Marciana Marina
Marciana Marina
Marciana Marina is a town and comune in the province of Livorno , one of the most important towns of Elba Island.It is situated at sea level, with nearly 2.000 inhabitants....
, Porto Azzurro
Porto Azzurro
Porto Azzurro is a comune in the Province of Livorno in the Italian region Tuscany; it is on the island of Elba, located about 130 km southwest of Florence and about 90 km south of Livorno. It formerly called Porto Longone, and in 1557 Jacob VI Appiani, Prince of Piombino, granted Spain...
, Rio Marina
Rio Marina
Rio Marina is a comune in the Province of Livorno in the Italian region Tuscany, located on the Elba Island.-History:The first traces of settlements in the area date to the 15th century...
, and Rio nell'Elba
Rio nell'Elba
Rio nell'Elba is a comune in the Province of Livorno in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 130 km southwest of Florence and about 80 km south of Livorno....
, are part of the province of Livorno
Province of Livorno
The Province of Livorno or Leghorn is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. It includes several islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, including Elba and Capraia. Its capital is the city of Livorno....
, with a total of about 30,000 inhabitants, which increases considerably during the summer.
Geography
The island of Elba is the largest remaining stretch of land from the ancient tract that once connected the Italian peninsula to Corsica. The northern coast faces the Ligurian Sea; the eastern coast the Piombino Channel; the southern coast the Tyrrhenian Sea; while the Corsica channel divides the western tip of the Island from neighbouring Corsica.The terrain is quite varied, and is thus divided into several areas based on geomorphology
Geomorphology
Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them...
. The mountainous and most recent part of the island can be found to the west, the centre of which is dominated by Mount Capanne
Mount Capanne
Mount Capanne is the highest mountain on the Italian island of Elba and the province of Livorno. Located in the western part of the island, it reaches a height of 1,019 metres above sea level....
(1018 metres (3,340 ft)), also called the "roof of the Tuscan Archipelago". The mountain is home to many animal species including the mouflon
Mouflon
The mouflon is a subspecies group of the wild sheep Ovis aries. Populations of Ovis aries can be partitioned into the mouflons and urials or arkars...
and wild boar, two species that flourish despite the continuous influx of tourists. The central part of the island is a mostly flat section with the width being reduced to just four kilometres. It is where the major centres can be found: Portoferraio, Campo nell'Elba. To the east is the oldest part of the island, formed over 400 million years ago. In the hilly area, dominated by Monte Calamita, are the deposits of iron that made Elba famous.
Hydrography
Rivers rarely exceed 3 km in length on the island and it is common for those of lesser length to dry up over the summer period.The largest rivers, sorted by length, are:
- Fosso San Francesco 6.5 km;
- Fosso Barion, 5.1 km;
- Fosso Redinoce, 2 km
Between Poggio and Marciana, at the foot of Mount Capanne, is a natural spring called Fonte Napoleone, which is regarded for its quality.
Climate
The climate of the Island is predominantly Mediterranean, except for Mount Capanne, where winters tend to be moderately cold. Precipitation is concentrated in autumn and comprises a normal rainfall.The table below shows the average temperatures for the islands by month.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Temperature (°C) | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 13 | 18,9 |
| Minimum Temperature (°C) | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 14,1 |
| Rain Fall (mm) | 61 | 53 | 51 | 47 | 28 | 24 | 13 | 30 | 51 | 82 | 86 | 69 | 595 |
History
Originally inhabited by LiguresLigures
The Ligures were an ancient people who gave their name to Liguria, a region of north-western Italy.-Classical sources:...
Ilvati who gave the ancient name Ilva, the island was well known from very ancient times for its iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
resources and its valued mines. The Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
called it Aethalia (fume) after the fumes of the furnaces for the metal production.
The island was then invaded, first by the Etruscans
Etruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
and later (after 480 BC) by the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. After the Roman period, the island was ravaged by barbarians and Saracens. In the early 11th century it became a possession of the Republic of Pisa
Republic of Pisa
The Republic of Pisa was a de facto independent state centered on the Tuscan city of Pisa during the late tenth and eleventh centuries. It rose to become an economic powerhouse, a commercial center whose merchants dominated Mediterranean and Italian trade for a century before being surpassed and...
. When the latter was sold to the Visconti
House of Visconti
Visconti is the family name of two important Italian noble dynasties of the Middle Ages. There are two distinct Visconti families: The first one in the Republic of Pisa in the mid twelfth century who achieved prominence first in Pisa, then in Sardinia where they became rulers of Gallura...
of Milan in 1398, the island was acquired by the Appiani, Lords of Piombino
Piombino
Piombino is an Italian town and comune of circa 35,000 inhabitants in the province of Livorno . It lies on the border between the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea, in front of Elba Island and at the northern side of Maremma.-Overview:...
, who retained it for two centuries. In 1546 part of the island was handed over to Cosimo I de' Medici
Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Cosimo I de' Medici was Duke of Florence from 1537 to 1574, reigning as the first Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1569.-Biography:...
, who fortified Portoferraio and renamed it "Cosmopoli", while in 1577 the rest of the island was returned to the Appiani. In 1596 Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
captured Porto Azzurro and had two fortresses built there. In 1802 the island became a French possession, and its economy flourished.
Treaty of Fontainebleau (1814)
The Treaty of Fontainebleau was an agreement established in Fontainebleau on 11 April 1814 between Napoleon Bonaparte and representatives from Austria, Hungary and Bohemia , as well as Russia and Prussia. The treaty was signed at Paris on 11 April by the plenipotentiaries of both sides, and...
, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
emperor Napoleon I
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
was exiled to Elba after his forced abdication in 1814 and arrived at Portoferraio on May 3, 1814 to begin his exile there. He was allowed to keep a personal guard of six hundred men. Although he was nominally sovereign of Elba, the island was patrolled by the British Navy.
During the months Napoleon stayed on the island, he carried out a series of economic and social reforms to improve the quality of life, partly to pass the time and partly out of a genuine concern for the well-being of the islanders. Napoleon stayed on Elba for 300 days. He returned to France on February 26, 1815 for the Hundred Days
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
. After his defeat at Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
he was subsequently exiled again, this time to the barren and isolated South Atlantic island of Saint Helena
Saint Helena
Saint Helena , named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which also includes Ascension Island and the islands of Tristan da Cunha...
. Napoleon's stay on Elba is the basis for the famous English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
palindrome
Palindrome
A palindrome is a word, phrase, number, or other sequence of units that can be read the same way in either direction, with general allowances for adjustments to punctuation and word dividers....
: "Able was I ere I saw Elba." Internationally, Elba is best known for its connection to Napoleon.
In the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
the island was given to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany
Grand Duchy of Tuscany
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a central Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence...
. In 1860 it became part of the new unified Kingdom of Italy.
French troops landed on Elba on June 17, 1944, liberating the island from the Germans. Faulty intelligence and strong defences made the battle more difficult than expected.
More recently, the island has become famed for its wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, and it is today a renowned tourist resort.
Transportation
The island is connected to the mainland via the three ferry companies, ToremarToremar
thumb|250px|Oglasa Leaving PortoferraioToremar is an Italian shipping company which operates in routes from Tuscany to the Tuscan archipelago....
, Moby Lines
Moby Lines
Moby Lines is an Italian shipping company that operates ferries and cruiseferries between the Italian or French mainland and the islands of Elba, Sardinia and Corsica. The company was founded in 1959 under the name Navigazione Arcipelago Maddalenino .In 2006 Moby Lines purchased Lloyd Sardegna...
and Blunavy, all offering routes between Piombino and Portoferraio, the capital located in the north, Cavo, Rio Marina and Porto Azzurro, on the east coast of the island.
There is an airport on the island, Marina di Campo Airport
Marina di Campo Airport
Marina di Campo Airport is an airport located in the area of Marina di Campo which serves the island of Elba in Italy. It is also known as Teseo Tesei Airport .-Airlines and destinations:-External links: , official site*...
. It is served by Intersky
InterSky
Intersky Luftfahrt GmbH is an airline headquartered in Bregenz, Austria, operating scheduled services from its base at Friedrichshafen Airport, Germany, to major cities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as seasonal holiday flights to the Mediterranean.- History :Intersky was established...
, with flights to Friedrichshafen
Friedrichshafen
This article is about a German town. For the Danish town, see Frederikshavn, and for the Finnish town, see Fredrikshamn .Friedrichshafen is a university city on the northern side of Lake Constance in Southern Germany, near the borders with Switzerland and Austria.It is the district capital of the...
, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, and ElbaFly
Elbafly
-Destinations:* Marina di Campo Airport to Malpensa Airport, Orio al Serio. [seasonal]-Fleet:The Elbafly chartered fleet includes the following aircraft :*1 Let L-410 Turbolet...
by internal flights.