Elba & Portoferraio Attractions

In summer there are also hydrofoil services from Piombino and Livorno to Portoferraio.SituationThe island of Elba, the largest of the islands off Tuscany, lies in the Ligurian Sea 10km/6mi south of the mainland port of Piombino. Elba, 27km/17mi long, up to 18.5km/11mi wide, consists mainly of granite and porphyry, and has considerable deposits of high-quality iron ore, particularly in the eastern part of the island, with a metal content of 40-80%.Population and economyThe possession of the iron-mines of Elba enabled the Etruscans to assert their dominance in Italy, and the mines were later worked by the Romans. Together with the tuna and anchovy fisheries and agriculture (fruit, vines) the working of iron was one of the island's main sources of income until 1982 when it finally came to a halt, most of the sites being exhausted.Holiday resortElba's mild and equable climate, its great scenic beauty and the excellent conditions for scuba diving off its cliff-fringed coast have drawn increasing numbers of visitors to the island in recent years.HistoryElba belonged to Pisa from the 11th century onwards; then in 1284 it passed to Genoa, later to Lucca and in 1736 to Spain. After Napoleon's defeat in 1814 he was granted full sovereign rights over the island, and lived there from May third 1814 to February 26th 1815. Elba was returned to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany by the Congress of Vienna.