Elba Island

Elba is Italy’s third-largest island and the largest in the Tuscan Archipelago: the heart of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, it is a treasure trove, an island rising from the sapphire blue sea and blending, on the horizon, with the blue of the sky.

The island is a mosaic of villages, Mediterranean scrub and golden beaches, rich in stories and legends: according to myth, Jason called at Elba and stopped at Porto Argon (today Capo Bianco) during his quest for the Golden Fleece. From the same harbor, as Virgil tells in the Aeneid, more than three hundred men set sail to help Aeneas in his battle against the Rutuli.

The Etruscans settled on the island from the 8th century BC and started its iron industry: the iron mined at Aethalia, the island’s nickname, meaning “spark”, was exported all over the Mediterranean. Later the Romans worked not only the iron mines but also the granite quarries; they also discovered the benefits of the San Giovanni hot springs and began making the main Elban wines.

As a symbol of the lively sea trade, splendid amphorae from all over the Mediterranean are now kept in the museums of Marciana and Portoferraio. In the Middle Ages, the Maritime Republic of Pisa quarried Elba’s prized granite, which went into the columns of the Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa.

In 1548 Cosimo I de' Medici began building Portoferraio, a fortified town carefully designed according to the principles of military planning: today it is the island’s main town.

In the early 17th century, the Spanish under Philip III settled in Porto Azzurro, where the imposing Forte San Giacomo was built. Among the great names of history who left their mark on the island, Napoleon Bonaparte stands out: in the 18th century the Austrians, British, French and Germans fought over Elba, with battles and negotiations.

Elba was granted to Napoleon, who, after his defeat at Leipzig and under the Treaty of Fontainebleau, was forced to give up the French throne. The great general chose Elba for his exile and, in less than a year, managed to extend the road network, promoted wine production and exports and boosted the mining economy, letting the island shine in a new light.

Thanks to its winemaking tradition, the island has produced prestigious, renowned wines over the centuries: Elba Bianco, Elba Rosso, Ansonica and Aleatico, excellent with the flavors of Elba’s traditional cooking. Among the tastiest dishes are “gurguglione”, a kind of ratatouille, risotto with cuttlefish ink and stuffed sardines.