Located in the Tyrrhenian Sea, at 10km from the coastal town of Piombino, and about 50km east of the French island of Corsica, Elba is the third largest island in Italy (after Sicily and Sardinia). It has a population of about 30,000 inhabitants, which increases considerably during the summer. Recently, the island has become famed for its wine, and it is today a noted tourist resort. Elba offers a mix of options both cultural and recreational.
Originally inhabited by Ligures Ilvates who gave the ancient name Ilva, the island was well known from very ancient times for its iron resources. The Greeks called it Aethalia (fume) after the fumes of the furnaces for the production of metal. The island was invaded by the Etruscans and later by the Romans. In the middle age was invaded by the Ostrogoti and the Lombards. Then it became a possession of the Republic of Pisa.
When it was sold to the Visconti of Milan in 1398, the island was acquired by the Appiani, Lords of Piombino, who retained it for two centuries. In 1596 Philip II of Spain captured Porto Azzurro and had two fortresses built there. Napoleon was exiled to Elba (become a French possession in 1802) after his forced abdication in 1814, and stayed there for 300 days. In the Congress of Vienna the island was given to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and in 1860 it became part of the new unified Kingdom of Italy.
About the stamps I wrote here.
References
Elba - Wikipedia
Sender: Ana
Sent from Florence (Tuscany / Italy), on 30.05.2014
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