Culture of Elba Island. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

In Elba, you can visit a lot of cult buildings, which has a rich history. For example, The Church of Mercy, named in honor of the Brotherhood, founded by Giovanni Medici, has been opened to the congregation for more than three centuries. This is the place, where the remains of Saint Christian, the patron of Elba, are preserved. By the way, in this church, they have been having a service in honor of Napoleon since 1852. Near the cathedral, there is a museum, dedicated to the history of the Brothers of Mercy, where you can also find a death mask of Napoleon and the flag, which was given to the Emperor at landing on the island.

Portoferraio cathedral is almost a century older than The Church of Mercy. Its construction started in the middle of the 16th century. The building is perfectly preserved and is operating now as well as it has been more than four centuries ago. The sanctuary of Madonna del Monte is famous not only for its image of the Mother of God, which was presumably created in the 13th century but also as a place of secret dates for Napoleon and Maria Walewska. By the way, the murals, which many historians relate to Sodom, are also kept here.

However, Elba was not only an important part of Italy’s spiritual life. Powerful people were interested in this island for centuries. The fortifications, which were built by Medici in Portoferraio, can be seen from far away and still look as they watch over the city. Although all four levels of the fortress have suffered from some decay over the last four centuries, they are still impressive. You should not only walk inside the fortifications but also get at the top and enjoy the view from the ancient walls. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Despite their greatness, Medici’s shafts are not the oldest fortress on the island. Nobody knows when the Volterraio castle was built, but it is a fact that it has already been there in the 13th century, as in 1281 it was reconstructed. This powerful building had never been conquered by the Turkish. The defense system of the island included several watchtowers, built for the protection from the pirates. Those include Torre della Marina in Marciana Marina harbor, which was built in the 16th century, and Torre San Giovanni, which construction goes back to the 12-13th centuries – the times of the domination of Pisa Republic on the island.

Certainly visit Valla San Martino. In the middle of the 19th century, the husband of Napoleon’s niece built a gorgeous gallery near the capital of the island. It still has a whole collection of items associated with the Emperor’s name. The villa itself, which original rooms are located above the gallery, was Napoleon’s summer residence for a couple of years. Villa dei Mulini, which was built in the middle of the 17th century and was also a residence of France’s ruler, has been recently restored and now you can not only see the architectural decisions Napoleon liked but also the furniture that he preferred.

Although, there are a couple of great expositions on the island, which are not connected to the name of the famous Emperor. For instance, the collection of the city archeological museum of Marciana. There are findings from the Stone Age, and artefacts from the times of Etruscan settlements, and items from the sunken ships of the Roman Empire. Villa delle Grotte is a very unusual place, which everyone should visit, being in Elba. Nobody knows exactly, whom had this building belonged to first, though even Ovidius mentioned it. Abandoned in the very beginning of our era, the villa was restored in the 18th century to become a fortification for the battery at the front border between French and the kingdom of Naples’ armies. Now the building is almost totally destroyed, however you can easily understand the initial idea of the constructors. If you are interested in the lives of the miners in Elba, you can visit a museum, dedicated to their life at the mines.