- Elba
Infobox Islands
name = Elba
image caption = West Coast
image size = 280px
map_custom = yes
locator
native name =
native name link =
nickname =
location =Tyrrhenian Sea
coordinates = coord|42|45.71|N|10|14.45|E|display=inline,title
archipelago =Tuscan Archipelago
total islands = 7
major islands =Elba , Gorgona,Capraia ,Pianosa ,Montecristo ,Giglio andGiannutri )
area = convert|224|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on
coastline = convert|147|km|abbr=on
highest mount =Monte Capanne
elevation = convert|1018|m|abbr=on
country = Italy
country admin divisions title = Region
country admin divisions =Tuscany
country admin divisions title 1 = Province
country admin divisions 1 = Livorno
country admin divisions title 2 = Communes of Elba
country admin divisions 2 =Portoferraio ,Campo nell'Elba ,Capoliveri ,Marciana ,Marciana Marina ,Porto Azzurro ,Rio Marina andRio nell'Elba
country capital city =
country largest city =Portoferraio
country largest city population = 12,013
country leader title =
country leader name =
population = 31,059
population as of =Jan 1 ,2007
density = 138
ethnic groups =
additional info =Elba ( _la. Ilva) is an island in
Tuscany ,Italy , convert|20|km from the coastal town ofPiombino . It is the largest island of theTuscan Archipelago , and the third largest island in Italy afterSicily andSardinia . Elba and the other islands of the Tuscan Archipelago are protected in theNational Park of the Tuscan Archipelago . The French island ofCorsica lies about convert|50|km|-1 to the west. In Italian it is called "Isola d'Elba".History
Originally inhabited by
Ligures Ilvati who gave the ancient name Ilva, the island was well known from very ancient times for itsiron resources and its valued mines. TheGreeks called it "Aethalia" (fume) after the fumes of the furnaces for the metal production.The island was then taken by force by the Etruscans first and (after 480 BC) by the Romans. After the end of the
Roman Empire , the island suffered from ravages by barbarians andSaracens . In the early 11th century it became a possession of theRepublic of Pisa . When the latter, in 1398, was sold to theVisconti of Milan, the island was acquired by theAppiani , Lords ofPiombino , who retained it for two centuries. In 1546 part of the island was handed over toCosimo I de' Medici , who fortified Portoferraio, renaming it "Cosmopoli", while in 1577 the rest of the island returned to the Appiani. In 1603Philip II of Spain captured Porto Azzurro and built there two fortresses. In 1802 the island became a French possession, and its economy flourished.Following the Treaty of Fontainebleau, French emperor Napoleon I was exiled to Elba after his forced abdication in 1814 and arrived at Portoferraio on
May 3 ,1814 to begin his exile there. He was allowed to keep a personal guard of six hundred men. Although he was nominally sovereign of Elba, the island was watched (more or less) by British naval patrols.During these months, partly to pass the time and partly out of a genuine concern for the well-being of the people, he carried out a series of economic and social reforms to improve the quality of life on Elba. Napoleon stayed on Elba for 300 days before he escaped and returned to France on
February 26 for theHundred Days . After his defeat at Waterloo he was subsequently exiled again, this time to the barren and isolatedSouth Atlantic island ofSaint Helena . Napoleon's stay on Elba is the basis for the famousEnglish language palindrome : "Able was I ere I saw Elba." It is for the connection with Napoleon that Elba is best known internationally.In the
Congress of Vienna the island was given to theGrand Duchy of Tuscany . In 1860 it became part of the new unified Kingdom of Italy.French troops landed on Elba on
June 17 1944 , liberating the island from the Germans. Faulty intelligence and strong defences made the battle more difficult than expected.More recently, the island has become famed for its
wine . It is today a renowned tourist resort.Airport
* There is an airport on the island,
Marina di Campo Airport . It's served byIntersky , with flights toFriedrichshafen ,Munchen andZurich .Image Gallery
References
*
External links
* [http://www.1clickelba.it/geologia-eng/ Elba Geology] a rich site about Elba's geology.
* [http://www.images-italy.com/elba/ Pictures Elba]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/85/a2943885.shtml War story about the WWII battle]
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