Original Elba
Many megalithic sites bear witness to a very ancient human presence, such as the site of Pietra Murata. Occupied as early as the Bronze Age, the site was later transformed by the Etruscans, great masters of town planning. The fortified villages of Monte Castello and Castiglione di Campo thus developed on the Etruscan urban network. Great engineers, the Etruscans systematized the work of iron, of which the conical-shaped furnaces are the witnesses. The remains of necropolises, such as that of Casa del Duca, also bear witness to Etruscan grandeur. The Romans, for their part, developed an architecture that combined leisure and pleasure, as witnessed by the superb villas of Capo Castello, La Linguella and the Caves. Polychrome mosaics, frescoes and rich marble decorations characterize these villas which give pride of place to thermal activities and gardens lined with pools and statues. The "farm" of San Giovanni has a "canteen", a room where the jars were buried to preserve the precious wine nectar prized by the Romans. The island also has evidence of the beginning of the Christian era, such as the Hermitage of San Cerbone, which dates back to the 6th century.
From Pisans to Tuscany
The powerful Republic of Pisa exploits mines, quarries... and the know-how of the island. That's why the famous Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa bears the mark of the Elba stonecutters! The Pisans erected towers and fortresses throughout the archipelago. On the island of Elba, the most beautiful witnesses of this military architecture are the Tower of San Giovanni - a powerful granite building flanked by a moving wooden staircase that allows access to the only opening - and the spectacular castle of Volterraio, whose oldest parts are the fortified enclosure and the quadrangular tower. At the same time, the island experienced a great religious effervescence and saw the multiplication of churches and chapels in Romanesque style, whose main characteristics are: the bell tower-wall decorated with semicircular arches, the Greek cross plan with a single nave extended by a semicircular apse and a decoration of great sobriety characterized by the use of local stone arranged in such a way as to create geometric patterns. Among the most beautiful Romanesque churches, do not miss the church of San Giovanni in Campo, the church of San Michele in Capoliveri or the church of San Lorenzo in Marciana. In the sixteenth century, the island came under the control of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany then led by Cosimo I of the powerful Medici family. It is to him that we owe the creation of the fortified city of Portoferraio, but at the time, it was called Cosmopoli and was intended to be "the cradle of civilization and culture, an example of balance and rationality. The Medici developed a town planning system based on the natural configuration of the place. The ramparts were designed in a diamond shape to fit the uneven relief of this natural fortress. Among the masterpieces of the time, we should note the Fort Stella which owes its name to its star-shaped plan, the Fort Falcone and its numerous vaulted galleries, the Tower of La Linguella and of course the powerful ramparts spread over several levels, works of the famous architects Bellucci and Camerini. At the same time, Cosimo I had public buildings built, such as the Biscotteria with its Renaissance harmony and the Arsenale delle Galeassi with its aqueduct supported by arcades. The great cathedral of the city and the convent of San Salvatore (now the De Laugier barracks), preceded by a sumptuous square square and an elegant Renaissance portico, also date from this period. Separated from the rest of the island by a moat, Cosmopoli seemed impregnable at the time.
Spaniards in Bonaparte
It is in Porto Azzurro that the Spaniards have left the most witnesses of their presence, starting with the imposing Fort San Giacomo, which houses the church dedicated to Saint James the Greater, a jewel of Baroque art. After a long struggle, the island finally came under French rule, and it is to a certain Napoleon Bonaparte that the island owes its development. Of course, the emperor in exile first made sure that he owned sumptuous private residences in classical style: the Palazzina dei Mulini, the central part of which he raised to create a vast ceremonial salon and whose barn he transformed into a theatre, even going so far as to destroy or lower the surrounding buildings to enjoy a panoramic view of the sea; and the house of San Martino with its rich interior decoration, including the Egyptian room with its trompe-l'oeil paintings. But at the same time, Bonaparte is fully involved in the development of the island : improvement of the road system linking the various villages on the island, construction of a conduit to avoid road congestion, the obligation for the owners to install latrines in their homes... No detail escapes the French Eagle, who does not shy away from a few fantasies such as the transformation of the Church of Carmine into the Theatre dei Vigilanti... or the art of bringing an Italian-style hall into a Greek cross plan with an apse!
Elba in the 20th century
The Tonietti Mausoleum is one of the few examples of a more "modern" architecture that echoes the currents in vogue on the continent. With a square floor plan reminiscent of a lighthouse, the mausoleum displays its decorative richness borrowed from the Liberty style, the name of Art Nouveau in Italy. Marine, animal and historical motifs mark out the building, which also features porthole openings. During the First World War, the island was again a major geostrategic issue, as can be seen in the tunnels (such as between Procchio and Biodola), barracks, powder magazines and semaphores (such as those at Chiessi and Monte Grosso). Occupied by the Germans during the Second World War, the island suffered considerable destruction. However, it is recovering despite everything, abandoning the mining activity to turn to tourism with the multiplication of hotels and resorts. However, the island has not forgotten its rich heritage which, since the 2000s, has been the subject of numerous restoration campaigns. Now it's up to you to discover it!
