Island of Elba Mineral Park

The island of Elba was the principal source of iron ore, in the eighteenth century for furnaces like those at Capalbio and Accessa in Tuscany, and in the nineteenth century for the much larger coke-fired blast furnaces at Piombino. The last mines ceased working in 1970. Elba’s ‘town of iron’ was Rio Marina on the eastern coast, from which ferries still ply to Piombino. Rio Marina achieved municipal status in 1882, although today it has less than 2000 inhabitants.

The Parco Minerario dell’Isola d’Elba provides guided tours and trails that can be followed on foot or by mountain bicycle through the archaeological remains of iron ore mining, which include quarries, and underground workings at Ginevro. The mineralogy and history of the workings is illustrated by specimens, pictures and maps in a museum in the Palazzo Comunale (town hall) at Rio Marina.