Elba is the largest remaining stretch of land from the ancient tract that once connected the Italian peninsula to Corsica.[3] The northern coast faces the Ligurian Sea, the eastern coast the Piombino Channel, the southern coast the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the Corsica Channel divides the western tip of the island from neighbouring Corsica.
The island itself is made up of slices of rocks which once formed part of the ancientTethyan seafloor.[4] These rocks have been through at least twoorogenies, theAlpine orogeny and theApennine orogeny. The second of these two events was associated with subduction of theTethyan oceanic crust underneathItaly and the obduction of parts of the ancient seafloor onto the continents. Later extension within the stretched inner part of theApennine Mountains caused adiabatic melting and the intrusion of theMount Capanne and the La Serra-Porto Azzuro granitoids. These igneous bodies brought with themskarn fluids which dissolved and replaced some of the carbonate units, precipitatingiron-rich minerals in their place. One of theiron-rich minerals,ilvaite, was first identified on the island and takes its name from theLatin word for Elba. More recently, high-angle faults formed within the tectonic pile, allowing for the migration ofiron-rich fluids through the crust. The deposits left behind by these fluids formed the island's rich seams ofiron ore.
Mount Capanne
The terrain is quite varied and is thus divided into several areas based ongeomorphology. The mountainous and most recent part of the island can be found to the west, the centre of which is dominated byMount Capanne (at a height of 1,018 metres, or 3,340 feet), also called the "roof of the Tuscan Archipelago". The mountain is home to many animal species including themouflon andwild 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 (2.5 mi). 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 3 million years ago.[5] In the hilly area, dominated by Monte Calamita, are the deposits ofiron that made Elba famous.
Rivers rarely exceed 3 km (2 mi) in length, and it is common for the shorter ones to dry up during the summer. The largest rivers, sorted by length, are:
Fosso San Francesco 6.5 km (4.0 mi);
Fosso Barion, 5.1 km (3.2 mi);
Fosso Redinoce, 2 km (1.2 mi)
Between Poggio and Marciana, at the foot of Mount Capanne, is a spring called Fonte Napoleone, known for its quality.
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 island lies in therain shadow of the large and mountainous island of Corsica, so precipitation totals are somewhat reduced from the mainland (most of the island receives less than 750 mm (30 inches) annually). Snowfall in winter is rare in the lowlands and melts quickly. The table below shows the average temperatures for the islands by month.
Climate data for Monte Calamita, Elba Island (1991–2020)
The island was originally inhabited byLiguresIlvates and was calledIlva (Ἰλούα). It was well known from very ancient times for itsiron resources and valued mines. TheGreeks also called itAethalia (Αἰθαλία or Αἰθάλεια) andAethale (Αἰθάλη) from "smoky" (αἰθάλη), after the fumes of the metal producing furnaces.[9]
Apollonius of Rhodes mentions it in his epic poemArgonautica, describing that theArgonauts rested here during their travels. He writes that signs of their visit were still visible in his day, including skin-coloured pebbles that they dried their hands on and large stones which they used at discus.Strabo (5.2.6) presents a slightly different account: "because the scrapings, which the Argonauts formed when they used theirstrigils, became congealed, the pebbles on the shore remain variegated still to this day."[10] The port which is now called Porto Ferraio, was known in ancient times as the portus Argous (Ἀργῶος λιμήν), because it was believed that the Argonauts landed there on their return voyage.[9]
The island was then settled by theEtruscans, who started mining iron at Elba, and later (after 480 BC) by theRomans, who called the island Ilva.[11]
In 1544, theBarbary pirates from North Africa devastated Elba and the coasts of Tuscany.[13] In 1546, part of the island was handed over toCosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, who fortified Portoferraio and renamed it "Cosmopoli", while the rest of the island was returned to the Appiani in 1577. In 1596,Philip II of Spain captured Porto Longone and had two fortresses built there. This part of Elba came into the direct power of Spain through theState of the Presidi, includingPorto Longone. In 1736, the sovereignty of this part of Elba was claimed by theKingdom of Naples but remained abandoned.[14]
The French EmperorNapoleon wasexiled to Elba, after his forced abdication following theTreaty of Fontainebleau, and conveyed to the island onHMSUndaunted by CaptainThomas Ussher; he arrived at Portoferraio on 4 May 1814.[17] He was allowed to keep a personal guard of 400 men[18] and was nominallysovereign of Elba, a step down from Emperor of the French. However, the nearby sea was patrolled by theFrench andBritish navies to ensure he could not escape. During the months that he stayed on the island, Napoleon carried out a series of economic and social reforms to improve the quality of life. After staying for almost ten months, he managed to escape back to France on 26 February 1815 with about 1,000 men.
During theSecond World War, the island was liberated from German occupation by the French1er Corps d'Armée supported by British forces including Royal Naval Commandos on 17 June 1944, inOpération Brassard. Faulty intelligence and strong defences made the battle more difficult than expected.[19][20]
The island has a network of trails for road racers looking for more technical routes for their training, trails and dirt roads for bikers to have fun on, and accessible routes for families with children who need safe and relaxing routes. On the road fromRio nell'Elba going to Porto Azzurro is the "Fonte di Coppi". Towards the end of his career,Fausto Coppi, the "campionissimo", came here to train on the roads of Elba. He still retained a celebrity status but was no longer at the peak of his career that ended with his death a few years later. The plaque on the fountain reads: "1960–2010, here the champion quenched his thirst, after fifty years on the run".
^Roberto Ferretti (a cura di), Aspetti e problemi di storia dello Stato dei Presìdi in Maremma, 1979;Giuseppe Caciagli, Stato dei Presidi, Pontedera, Arnera Edizioni, 1992
^Thompson, J. M. (January 1950). "Napoleon's Journey to Elba in 1814 Part II. By Sea".American Historical Review.55 (2):301–320.doi:10.2307/1843729.JSTOR1843729.
^Alphonse de Lamartine, p. 206. (Article XVII)His Majesty the Emperor Napoleon can take with him, and keep for his guard, 400 men, volunteers, officers, subofficers, and soldiers.
