 The
commune Rio Marina was founded as late as in 1882 and is located
in Elba's mining heart, just behind the mountains where iron
was extracted. The houses, built to accommodate the miners were
placed on the mountains and some even inside already exploited
mines. Even today, especially in the medieval part of Rio Marina
behind the harbor, ancient houses are preserved, covered with
a reddish layer of ferrous maltha and the beaches in the area
glimmer thanks to the ferrous materials. |
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The most interesting excursions to do around Rio Marina are
obviously concentrated to its mining history. The Minerals of
Elba Museum "Collezione Gennai Tonietti", prepared
by miners at Palazzo Comunale di Rio is worth visiting. Just
as charming is the place between Rio Marina and Capo Castello,
in the locality Capo Pero, where they still keep remainders
of an ancient Etruscan furnace. The nearby Roman Villa, Capo
Castello, is also worth a visit, immersed in the exuberant Mediterranean
bush in the north-eastern part of the island. Not far from the
mining area, the villa stretched out over three localities that
today have three different names, Capo Castello, Capo di Mattea
and Colle del Lentisco, divided on sloping terraces. The center
of Rio Marina instead, offers the polygonal tower degli Appiani
that dominates Porticciolo di Rio, and the Latin cross-shaped
16:th century church San Rocco century that is easily accessible
from the public gardens. |
Photos from APT Tuscan Archipelago and Mediaweb srl.
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